


freshman x year

by sukaira



Series: hxh but it's a coming-of-age movie [1]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Aged-down Hisoka, Aged-down Illumi, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bi Killua Zoldyck, Fluff, Gay Gon Freecss, Gon and Killua are freshman, Leorio and Kurapika are sophomores, M/M, Mild Angst, Slow Burn, Volleyball, awkward teen romance, but he doesn’t realize it yet, cliche romance, don't judge their age shifts, it just works, overt sexual tension, they're both seniors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 08:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24468316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sukaira/pseuds/sukaira
Summary: Essentially Hunter x Hunter, but they're in a coming-of-age teen drama romance movie and the writing and plot are questionable. :D
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Series: hxh but it's a coming-of-age movie [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767382
Comments: 87
Kudos: 297





	1. blue x and x amber

**Author's Note:**

> ok, so i wrote this at midnight. i have work in 6 hours now which is super cute  
> but killugon and leopika are running my life right now lolol.  
> i have a long story planned for this with 10 chapters already set up but who knows  
> those plans might be thrown out the window entirely.  
> only time will tell.

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _

A bronzed hand rushes to shut the alarm off, sitting up excitedly. He rubs his eyes, yawning for a second before quickly heading into the bathroom. 

_ The first day at Hunter High School,  _ he thought to himself. How could this day have come so fast? The mirror shows the same old messy black hair and stocky build that he saw yesterday, but he felt different.  _ A highschooler...  _ He obsessed over this simple fact for far too long, as he washed the sleep off of his face and ruffled his hair into the same spiky style he’d worn for years now.

He trotted excitedly towards his closet, opening the folding doors and scanning his eyes across the small collection of clothes. 

_ I have to make a good impression...  _ He ran his fingers over each shirt a few times, rummaging through the multitude of empty hangers to find a mind blowing outfit. With immense thought on his “first day” outfit choice, he put on the same black t-shirt and green cargo shorts that he wore every day. That was practically all he had in his closet after all.

“Gon!” A voice rang from the bottom of the staircase.

Gon quickly grabbed his backpack from the chair at his desk, shoving an extra pencil in the front pocket and zipping it up in one swift motion. He threw it over his shoulder and looked into the mirror, smoothing a stray piece of hair up into the spikes. 

“Gon, your breakfast is getting cold!” The same sweet voice called, a bit more urgently this time.

The boy gave himself one last look in the mirror before giving himself a satisfactory nod at his totally original and never-been-done-before fashion choice for the first day. After all, new school, new Gon, right?

Trotting down the stairs to the beat of a song that had gotten stuck in his head that weekend, Gon felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.  _ 5 new messages.  _ Huh...Guess he got a little too caught up in his morning routine. His steps slowed as he neared the bottom of the staircase and leaned against the railing to read the messages he missed.

Zushi Roll

5:30a.m. Z: good morning, gon!!!

5:31a.m. Z: i’m super pumped for today, aren’t you?!

6:30a.m. Z: guess you’re not awake yet… see you at school! :D

7:32a.m. Z: i just got my schedule!!! send me yours when you get it!

7:32a.m. Zushi Roll sent an image.

“Always on that phone…” The sweet voice chimed, laughing softly. 

“Aunt Mito!” Gon jumped a little, broken from the trance of studying Zushi’s schedule. “Sorry, Zushi sent me a bunch of texts. He’s suuuppper excited about our first day.” He scratched the back of his neck, a little sheepish about his own excitement for today.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. High school is a big change, you two should be excited about it.” Aunt Mito gave a soft smile before gesturing to the table, where a plate was set nicely with toast and eggs. “You better get to eating. I bet it’s cold by now.”

“Of course! Thank you, Aunt Mito.” The boy walked towards the table, looking back down at the messages on his phone.  _ 7:57a.m.  _ Halfway in the air above the chair, Gon jumped back up. “On second thought, I better eat on the way. The bus is supposed to be here in three minutes.” He snatched a piece of toast off the plate, spreading butter on it as fast as he could and readjusting the backpack on his one shoulder. As he rushed out the front door, he called back, “Bye, Aunt Mito! Thank you for breakfast!” And with that, he was off to his first day at Hunter High.

* * *

“Shoot!” Gon shifted his eyes for the hundredth time between his phone and the sheet of paper in his hands.  _ Not a single class with Zushi...  _

Zushi and Gon had been friends for three years now. After meeting in second period history in their first year at middle school, they had been attached at the hip. One of the most exciting things about Hunter High was that they’d be going together, but now they’d never see each other. Gon shoved the haphazardly folded paper back into his pocket in frustration, adjusting his phone in his hands.

Zushi Roll

8:26a.m. G: sorry, zush! seems like we won’t be seeing much of each other…

8:27a.m. G: at least not this semester.

8:27a.m. Gon sent an image.

8:28a.m. Z: not even lunch... 

8:29a.m. Z: dang it!!! at least we can still study together or something?

8:29a.m. G: of course. i look forward to it. :)

The bell rang, awakening Gon from the blue screen’s trance once more. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and hurried to his first class of the day; biology.

  
  


* * *

As the day went by, Gon made constant efforts to talk with new people, shining his bright smile as he always did. However, people didn’t seem to take as well to his kindness here. Everytime he said hello or introduced himself, he was met with a half-hearted grumbling of a hello or just a rude glare. People placed backpacks into seats that he tried to sit in and forced him to the front of every class, in a desk next to a white haired kid that always had Airpods in. Gon didn’t even make an attempt at being friendly to him. He decided the kid would just ignore him if he tried and he figured he’d better save his pride. 

Soon, however, it was time for lunch.  _ Maybe the second half of the day will be better...  _ He comforted himself as he walked down the crowded halls towards the cafeteria with Mito’s homemade lunch in hand. Although, even at lunch, he found himself at a table alone at the edge of the cafeteria. His usual peppy personality was tired of rejections at this point. 

“Pika, what are you doing? We’re upperclassmen now! Sitting with a freshman is social suicide, you should know this by n--”

“Leorio, don’t be an ass. Give the kid a chance, he looks nice.”

Just as he took the first bite of his sandwich, a kind voice interrupted, “Hi. Are these seats taken?” Gon looked up and found his glance met by a lanky dark-haired male in a button up and khakis towering over the owner of the kind voice, a shorter blonde in a red sweater and jeans.

“I--um.. no! Go ahead.” His grin extended as he stuck a hand out at the two new potential friends in front of him. “I’m Gon.”

“Kurapika,” the blonde said, shaking hands with him. “This is Leorio. He’s throwing a tantrum right now.” 

“I am not! Quit talking about me like I’m a chi--”

“See what I mean?” the blonde smiled a bit as he placed his bag down and sat. “He’ll get better once you get to know him. Well… Kind of.”

“What the hell? I’m right here, Pika.” Leorio sat down beside the shorter male, his lanky legs bumping Gon’s as he sat. He didn’t even acknowledge it as he was so wrapped up in arguing with Kurapika.

“I am aware.” Kurapika pulled out a brown bag with very little food inside and began to pick at it slowly.

“So, what year are you?”

“We’re both second years.” Kurapika responded calmly.

“Which is exactly why w--”

“Why you should hush and eat your food like an adult? I couldn’t agree more.” 

The history between these two opposites in front of Gon was undeniable. It seems they’ve known each other for quite some time. Gon couldn’t help but smile as the two continued to argue in front of him, Leorio always ending up looking stupid in the end. They acted like an old married couple, Gon decided.

* * *

The day continued just as miserably as it began. However, after the encounter at lunch, his mood had improved rapidly. Gon made no effort to find a different group of friends in his later classes. He had decided that he could be perfectly happy so long as those two stuck around. So what if the whole day sucked? He always had lunch to look forward to.

After the final bell, Gon walked blindly through the afterschool madness in the hallways, staring down at his phone in an attempt to find Zushi. With the blue light distracting him once again, he found himself face first into a wall. “Oh, sh--” 

“You alright there? That looked painful.”

Gon spinned around on his heel, one hand on his now very red nose and one still gripping his phone. He found himself choking on his words at the sight of the pale white-haired boy in front of him. “Me? Oh--um.. Yeah, I’m fine!”  _ That was odd...  _ He thought. He never usually found himself at a loss for words... He must have hit his head really hard.

“If you say so.” The mysterious boy said, brushing past Gon to write something on the bulletin board he had run face first into. From this new perspective, there was something very familiar about this boy... He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

The boy was slightly taller than Gon, with skin that seemed to glisten like moonlight and hair a powder white. He was kind of gorgeous, honestly. Gon stared for far too long as the boy continued writing, pushing some hair behind the ear that faced him to reveal a white Airpod.

“Oh! You sit by me in biology!” Gon remarked far too loudly. 

“Yeah. What’s your point?” The boy finished what he was writing and turned to Gon. Their eyes met and Gon was instantly mesmerized by the hundreds of colors in the other’s greyish-blue eyes.

“Um.. I-i don’t know.” He stammered.

To his surprise, the boy laughed a little. “Alright. Then I suppose I’ll see you in biology.” The boy gave him a half smile and then walked away. 

Gon stood there in shock for a minute, half from the encounter and half from the pounding in his nose that began on impact with the wall. 

The wall.

He turned quickly to look at what the boy had been writing. 

Volleyball tryouts... Gon didn’t know Hunter High had volleyball... He had never been on a serious team but he played a lot over the summer and in PE with his friends in middle school... 

He dug a pencil out of his backpack and messily wrote his name on the tryout sheet. His gaze shifted upwards as he wrote, locking on the freshly inked name of the boy with the Airpod. 

_ Killua...  _

_ Maybe this year won’t be as bad as I thought.  _ He thought with a smile.


	2. tryouts x and x trivia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon and Killua tryout for their high school's volleyball team!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, again, i wrote this at midnight!  
> i was REALLY excited after finishing the first chapter last night (which, by the way, the comments were SO kind, thank you so much for the positive response!) and i couldn't wait another second to continue writing and see where this went.

The following week was spent in a similar routine, miserable class after miserable class with not much to look forward to aside from his lunch period with Kurapika and Leorio. However, one class in particular was a little more exciting. For some strange reason, Gon found himself hyped up for biology. The days were long, but during that short hour of class, he found himself sharing quick glances with the white-haired boy. He hadn’t found the nerve to speak in that class quite yet, much less say a single word to the moonlit boy that fate had sat beside him. He spent half of that class staring without regard to the class going on around him, wondering what he was like and trying to decide if his hair was more white or maybe slightly silver…? Either way, he was well aware that this ‘Killua’ was going to be a big distraction from his classwork.

“Gon Freecss.” Mr. Wing interrupted his thoughts, and he let the bangs fall over his face to hide the blush when he had been caught staring with his head resting on his arms. "Pay attention."

...Speaking of which, maybe he should be a little less obvious?

"Sorry, Mr. Wing!"

It might have been a trick of the light, or even a figment of his wishful imagination, but it looked as if Killua met his glance with a small(and, mind you, very aware) smirk.

* * *

The week ended quickly and before he even realized it was here, Volleyball Tryouts were in progress. Gon rushed into the gym after school, following the crowd of other boys, most of them much taller than him. As he entered the high-roof building, he heard distant yelling and crowds of boys gathered around to stretch and talk before tryouts began. Gon scanned his eyes across the room, in search of...something, before a familiar voice rang from behind him.

“Wow... You’re here, too, huh?” Gon looked for the voice before turning and finding the white-haired boy behind him. “Didn’t take you for a volleyball guy.”

“Killua! I--um..I mean…” Gon felt his face flush as the name left his lips and secretly wished he could disappear into the floor.

Although the smile on Killua’s face showed the realization of Gon’s mistake, he let it slide. Just the flush on the shorter boy’s face seemed to give him satisfaction enough. “So, you play?”

“Well, um…” Gon pulled himself together, covering his prior embarrassment with a new sheepish smile. “I’ve never actually played on a team, but I played with a bunch of friends at the beach for the last couple summers!”

“Ah...so is that what you were doing when you ran face first into the bulletin board?” Killua said with a suspicious smile.

“Y-you could say that…” Gon’s face flushed even more, replaying the feeling of butterflies from the first time he set eyes on Killua. “It sounded pretty fun, so I..I decided to sign up.”

“Fun, huh?”

The two boys were quickly interrupted by a high-pitched, almost piercing voice. “I hope you’re not just here to mess around, boys... My victory is not all fun and games, got that? Line up, boys, let’s get this started!”

Gon and Killua shared a quick glance and laughed a little at the coach’s intensity, but with one stern look from the short blonde(and not intimidating-looking at all, by the way) coach, they quickly stepped into the line with the rest of the boys. 

“I’ll make it simple! I’m Coach Krueger, but most of the upperclassmen call me Bisky.” She paced in front of the line of boys in front of her. “Today I’m going to be testing your raw athleticism, as well as your skills in passing, spiking, setting, and receiving!” She stopped in her tracks, turning intense pink eyes down the line, and making direct eye contact with Gon. “This will not be fun. By the end of this practice, half of you will want to quit!”

The room was record breaking silent. Tension built around the boys as she stood and stared, the underclassmen sweating in fear of what was to come.

“Alright, pair up! We’re going to start with simply passing the ball back and forth. Morow, walk around and work on proper posture with each group.” A tall, well-built male with dark pink(or red?) hair chuckled softly, nodding towards the coach.

“You don’t have to tell me twice…” The male said, walking slowly and looking a couple of the newbies up and down as they paired up.

“You wanna, maybe...pair up?” Gon asked the white-haired boy, hopefully not embarrassing himself again. 

“For sure.” He received a soft smile in return to this question, and with that they began to pass the volleyball between them.

“Mmm… I’m liking what I’m seeing here…” The same tall male hummed, walking behind the pair. He slid a hand down Gon’s back, setting his back a little straighter. These seemingly innocent motions gave him chills, feeling as if he had a snake down his shirt. His wide eyes showed this feeling, causing Killua to laugh as the ball fell to the ground in front of him.

These drills continued for about an hour, switching between setting and receiving practice. Soon, however, Bisky called the boys back to a line.

“Alright! Let’s play a practice game, shall we? Morow, Illumi, come here please.” The two comply, standing on either side of Bisky. She gestures to the same tall magenta-haired creepy guy. “This is the captain of our volleyball team, fourth year Hisoka Morow.” His grin extends across his thin pointed face and he places his hands on his hips. “And this,” She now gestures to her other side, where a slightly shorter male stood with long flowing black hair and eyes that looked practically empty, “is Illumi Zoldyck, the primary setter.” Gon heard an annoyed huff from Killua’s direction, shifting his eyes to him and catching him in the middle of an eye roll. “These two will be the captains in our scrimmage today. Boys, pick your teams. Morow, you choose first.” 

A slight chuckle left the tall male’s slightly parted lips. “You…” He said almost seductively, pointing a thin and sharply pointed nail in Gon’s direction. Slightly reluctantly, he walked slowly towards the captain’s side.

“I choose Killua.” Illumi chimed in. Killua walked over with a protesting groan, met with a glare from Bisky that seemed to hide a half smile. 

The teams continued to divide and eventually both teams were full. After positions were assigned, the game began. The first set started, leaning towards Killua’s team with the skill from Illumi’s sets and the strength of Killua’s spikes, despite being new. It was clear that Killua had been playing for a long time and the skill of the two boys matched insanely well for them to be playing together for the first time.  _ Maybe they were on the same team before high school… _ Gon reasoned in his head, standing in the back of the court and following the swift moving ball with his eyes. Soon enough, the positions switched, placing Gon right in front against Killua. He smiled at the white-haired boy and was met with a competitive smirk. 

“Bring it on, newbie.” Killua remarked, cocking an eyebrow at the shorter male across the net. The ball went up, and bounced between sides, finding itself fit flawlessly into Killua’s hands for what was set up to be another perfect spike. Despite standing a puny 5’8 compared to the towering boys around him, Gon jumped up with his arms fully extended, adjusting his projection to smack the spike right back down in front of Killua. Silence filled the room for a split second. No other new player had managed to block one of Illumi and Killua’s plays yet. Cheers erupted from Gon’s teammates and he held intense eye contact with the shocked male in front of him. Killua’s open mouth shut into a crooked smile. “Nice shot... Let’s see if you can do it again.” He laughed a little and the game continued. This dynamic between the two was constant for the entirety of the rest of tryouts. Killua and Gon went neck and neck, gaining points for their side and blocking shots made from the other until the rotation sent them to the back. Gon was increasingly more into it as the game continued, thriving on the competition with his new friend. They made snarky comments at each other across the net, always laughing a little after each one and eventually, the game came to a close with Killua’s team winning the final set 25 to 23.

* * *

The new players sat in small groups on the gym floor about 30 minutes after the try outs had ended. Bisky had announced that the results would be posted shortly, however she was taking longer than they had all expected.

“Your spikes are seriously awesome Killua!” Gon had been going on and on about his playing style for the whole half an hour. Killua blushed a bit at his remarks.

“You’re so embarrassing... But, if I’m being honest, you really impressed me. For a guy who has never played on a real volleyball team, you’ve got some mad skill.” He smiled at the other shortly before returning to the game on his phone.

“Hey, Killua... Have you played on a team with Illumi before?”

Killua scoffed. “On a team? I’d hardly say that. We’ve trained together since birth.”

“Wait, you mean--”

“Illumi is my brother.” Killua admitted, running a hand back through his sweaty bangs.

“That makes so much sense, I w--” He was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing.

He quickly pulled the phone out of his lap.

Aunt Mito is calling…

Answer Decline

“Hold on a second.” He answered quickly, readjusting so his legs were pulled to his chest and resting his arms on his knees. “Hello? Oh, you’re already here? Um...no, the results aren’t up yet.. Oh, no, you don’t have to sit out there, I’ll just… I’ll go ask Coach Kru--” Gon began to stand up.

“I can send you a picture when the results go up.” Killua interrupted. Gon looked up at him and smiled a little. 

“Really?” Killua nodded. “Thanks, Killua! I’ll be out in a second Aunt Mito, just let me grab my stuff!” He hung up the phone and stood up completely, almost walking away too fast.

Killua reached a hand out. “Can I get your number?”

Gon’s face flushed faster than he’d like to admit, and he looked down at his feet with a sheepish smile on his face. “Oh, uh, I--”

“I need it to send you the results, dummy.” Killua muttered, but his smile showed no sign of annoyance, just admiration. 

“Oh--uh… Oh! Right.” He laughed a little, handing Killua his phone.  _ I’m so stupid! Of course it was for the results. How embarrassing… _

“Here ya go.” Gon took the phone back and started to walk away. 

“Wait… One more thing.” He turned back to Killua and held his phone up. “Smile, silly.” Gon said, a grin covering the entire bottom half of his face. Killua gave him a half hearted smile with raised brows and the dark-haired boy snapped a quick picture. “Perfect.” He said, looking down at the contact picture for a potentially strange amount of time.

* * *

As he jumped up into the passenger seat of his Aunt’s car, the smile on his face grew with the thoughts going through his mind. “I take it, tryouts went well?” Aunt Mito chuckled a bit at his gleaming face.

“Oh--um… Yea! They were great.” He said, focusing his eyes back on the picture that was still open on his phone.

“Who’s that?” She caught a glimpse of his phone, the smile on her face telling Gon that she had suspicions of exactly why he might be staring at that picture so longingly.

“What?! No one.” Gon shuts his phone off, flipping it over in his lap and blushing as he turns his head out the passenger window. After another short chuckle from Aunt Mito, silence fills the car.

_ Buzz. Buzz. _

Gon looks back down at the phone, perhaps moving too quickly to check it.

Unknown Number

6:23p.m. ?: congratulations, dummy. ;)

6:23p.m. Unknown Number sent an image

Gon gasped, causing Aunt Mito to jump in her seat. “I GOT ON THE TEAM!!!”

The awkward air clears, being replaced with an exponential amount of excitement. “Congratulations!!!” His Aunt chimes, smiling widely as she pulls up at a stop sign.

6:24p.m. Gon renamed Unknown Number as killua :)

6:25p.m. G: aaahhhhh!!! congrats to you, too! :D

6:25p.m. G: but i’m sure you’re not surprised.

6:25p.m. K: not really.

6:25p.m. K: but thank you. i look forward to crushing you in more practice matches, freecss.

6:26p.m. G: oh, whatever. i’d like to see you try.

6:26p.m. K: aha, i’m pretty sure i recall kicking your ass just a little bit ago. ;)

6:26p.m. K: couldn’t be too hard to pull that off again.

6:26p.m. G: we’ll see about that. :)

6:27p.m. K: mmmhm.

6:27p.m. K: see you in biology, loser.

6:27p.m. G: see ya, future loser-er. :D

The smile on the boy’s face grew as he saw each message come across the screen, his face feeling warm and his heart fluttering. His Aunt watched him from the corner of her eye, smiling at the one she saw as her own son. 

_ Mark my words…  _

_ I will win against you, Killua Zoldyck. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this didn't turn out quite as impactful as i anticipated  
> but i am still super proud of this and i'm super excited to keep building on it and creating a bigger story for you all!  
> again, this is super self indulgent, i'm a sucker for killugon and leopika as well as high school au's so this is so much fun for me to write.
> 
> also, a whole bunch more leopika is coming in the next chapter so i’m very excited about that!
> 
> let me know what you guys think! kudos and bookmarks are very appreciated and comments make me incredibly happy! if you have any questions or anything else, my IG is @ _sukaira! i'm typically quick to respond there. :D  
> thank you so much for reading!


	3. cliches x and x celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four boys celebrate Gon and Killua making the Volleyball team.  
> A lot of overloading cuteness awaits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally finished this chapter!  
> i have been working on this one for multiple days now because i was really struggling to capture their cuteness accurately without it messing up plans i had for future chapters.
> 
> leopika are BACK in this chapter and are in a whole bunch of full-fledged heart-racing teen moments.  
> i'm super proud of this one and really really excited to see what you guys think!  
> :D

Waking up for school quickly became pleasant with the silver-haired boy on his mind. Tryouts had just ended the night before and they were already two weeks into the school year. Gon had hardly slept from the adrenaline buzz left after the prior night, but still he hopped up giddily with the first deafening beep from his alarm. After all, he was on the volleyball team! He had so many practices and games to look forward to...among other things. 

As the amber eyed boy ate his breakfast that morning, he felt his Aunt staring at him still. A quick glance her way showed a sly grin across her face. She looked as if she knew something that he didn’t, but no matter how much Gon pestered her, she refused to tell him what was up. 

By the time he reached the door to biology, the excitement had only built up inside of him. He walked bouncily towards his desk and plopped down with a huge smile. 

“You look especially cheery today.”

The tall boy’s voice made him blush as soon as it reached his ears. “Yeah… I guess I’m just really excited about volleyball!” He excused quickly, talking way too fast to be normal.

Killua just stared at him for a second, the confusion melting into a smile. “Ok, weirdo.” He finally said, sitting down beside Gon and repositioning the single Airpod back into his ear.

Class continued, like it always did before, and it didn’t take long for Gon to fall into his habit of daydreaming. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the snowy hair that fell into Killua’s eyes while he wrote down everything Mr. Wing said. He was so lost in thought that he was only awoken to a pale hand placing a folded piece of paper on his desk. 

“You’re staring again,” the paper read, in handwriting too neat to be fair. Taken aback, honey met sapphire and Gon’s face filled with red as he tried to find a valid excuse to tell the other. Ultimately, he didn’t know why he was staring. It was hard to look away. Something about Killua was just so intriguing to him… Captivating.

Killua gave him a smile of reassurance and shook his head, going back to taking his notes. The dark-haired boy relaxed after that and started to make an active effort to actually learn something about biology today.

* * *

The day went on, slow as ever, but lunch had finally arrived. Lunch had always been superior to every other part of the day in Gon’s eyes, but it wasn’t just that he saw his friends or got to eat then. Something about the cafeteria made it the most calming place in the school.

“So you made the team!” Kurapika mused, with nothing but a water bottle for lunch today. It didn’t seem to hold the original water, either. The untouched plastic was fogged over and condensation dripped down the side, insinuating he had already finished the water in the disposable bottle but had refilled it. “Congratulations, Gon. We should celebrate somehow.” He offered the underclassman a sincere smile, one hand wrapped around the plastic bottle.

“You didn’t make this big of a deal when I got Sophomore Class President…” Leorio pouted, crossing his arms like a child.

“That’s because yo--”

“Hey, Gon. Is this seat open?”

Gon whipped his head around to see the familiar boy that was all encompassing on his mind recently. “Killua!” He shouted, probably too loudly despite the volume surrounding them from students chatting over lunch. “Yes! What’re you doing here??” He scrambled to move his bag and make room beside him for the other boy.

“My schedule got changed around, so I have this lunch period now instead of the later one.” He sat down, placing his bag on the floor beside him calmly. “Speaking of, does anyone know where Mr. Buhara’s class is? I have him for culinary next period an--”

“What?!? I’m in that class, too!” Gon did a couple of happy jumps in his seat, flashing a bigger grin than Killua had ever seen him with. This nearly caused the pale boy to falter, staring at the bright beam that this boy gave off.  _ He’s like the f*ckin’ sun… _ Killua thought to himself, a soft smile creeping onto his lips. “Oh, sorry guys!!!” Gon’s glance snapped back towards the two boys in front of them. “This is my friend, Killua! He’s in volleyball and biology with me! Killua, this is Leorio and Kurapika.” The word friend felt weird between the two. Killua couldn’t help but smile a bit more. He’d never really had someone he’d considered a friend before, aside from… well, that wasn’t important. There was no denying the chemistry between him and Gon. 

_ Friend… _

Killua came back to Earth to see a hand in front of him, ready to greet him. “Nice to meet you, Killua.” Kurapika gave a sweet smile, shaking his hand.

Leorio looked him up and down, “So, you’re in biology? Did you fail last year orrr?”

“No, I’m a first year.”

“Ah...great.” The lanky boy huffed. “More freshman.” He said the last word as if he was trying to get a bad taste out of his mouth.

“So you made the volleyball team as well? We were just talking about having some sort of celebration for Gon! You can join, if you’d like.” The comparison between Kurapika’s sweet, calm tone and Leorio’s gruff, uninviting tone almost made Killua dizzy.

“Sure. Sounds like fun.”

“Great!” Kurapika began to unzip the pocket of his backpack. “Leorio and I will set something up for Friday night. I’ll text you both more information.” He slid his phone in front of them with the new contact page pulled up.

* * *

After that, it seemed like Friday refused to come. With Killua in two of his classes now, the day’s were much more fun. However, the saying that time moves fast when you’re having fun was officially deemed a lie in Gon’s book. Nothing about this week was going fast.

What felt like weeks later, Thursday had arrived. Gon was just starting to wonder if Kurapika had forgotten about the planned “celebration” when he felt his phone buzz.

**(pay attention to the time's of these messages. both conversations are split up, but they are happening simultaneously. i hope that's not too confusing.)**

pika boo

8:03p.m. P: We’ll be meeting at Leorio’s house at 7 tomorrow for the celebration.

8:03p.m. P: Here’s the address.

8:03p.m. Pika Boo sent an attachment.

8:04p.m. P: Sorry for sending this so late!

8:04p.m. G: no worries!!

8:04p.m. G: what’re we doing tmrw?

8:06p.m. P: You’ll find out. :)

8:06p.m. G: whaaaat ><

8:06p.m. G: not fair. ;-;

8:10p.m. P: Oh, what is your favorite snack food, by the way?

8:10p.m. G: that’s not suspicious at all.

8:11p.m. G: that seemed sarcastic, but i’m serious.

8:11p.m. G: that was a totally useless clue.

8:14p.m. G: hello???

8:17p.m. G: ....my favorite snack is popcorn or chips.

8:17p.m. P: Thank you.

8:17p.m. G: WHAT

8:17p.m. G: now you respond???

  
  


killua :)

8:07p.m. G: hey, did kp tell you any details ab tmrw?

8:07p.m. K: just time and place.

8:07p.m. G: uuuughhhhhhh

8:08p.m. K: why, what’s up?

8:08p.m. G: i need to know what we’re doinggggg.

8:08p.m. K: why? gotta pick the right outfit or something?

8:08p.m. G: maybeeee.

8:09p.m. K: gon, i’ve known you for a week and even i know you wear the same thing everyday, no matter the occasion.

8:09p.m. G: heeeey, judgey much?

8:09p.m. K: i’m just sayin’

8:10p.m. G: :(

8:10p.m. G: !!! kurapika texted back. maybe it’s a clue!

8:10p.m. G: ima see what i can find out.

8:10p.m. K: ok, detective. you do that.

8:11p.m. G: he literally asked me what snacks i like.

8:12p.m. K: well, lookee there.

8:12p.m. K: now we know there’s gonna be food.

8:12p.m. K: congrats on another successful case, chief.

8:12p.m. G: shuddup, i thought it would be something helpful. :(

8:14p.m. G: is he responding to you???

8:14p.m. K: yea. why?

8:15p.m. G: so he’s ignoring me???

8:15p.m. G: rudeeee.

8:15p.m. K: he probably doesn’t want you prying about the party.

8:16p.m. G: i guess, but i just wanna knowwwww.

8:16p.m. K: he isn’t gonna budge.

8:16p.m. G: :(

8:16p.m. K: you’ll be alright.

8:17p.m. G: :P

* * *

To his surprise, the next 23 hours passed rather quickly. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Leorio’s front door, holding his hand up to knock. A quick motion from a figure behind him caused him to jump and nearly fall on the sidewalk. A hearty laugh rang out and he looked back to see the white-haired boy with a proud look on his face. He had a skateboard under his arm.  _ How had he managed to sneak up on me like that? _

“You were so scared!!!” Killua said in between labored breaths of laughter. 

“No, I wa--”

The door opened and Kurapika was standing on the other side. “Welcome.” He said with a calm smile, stepping aside and motioning for both boys to come in.

As he walked through the door, strong scents of buttery popcorn and pizza filled his senses. The floor in front of the couch was covered in blankets and pillows and the TV was on. “Is a movie night okay?”

“Yes!” Gon said, far too excited. Killua flashed a quick smile at his giddy response as he placed his skateboard by the door, both hands folding behind his head on instinct.

Leorio walked out of the kitchen, holding a couple boxes of pizza. “Hey, guys. Make yourselves comfortable.” He said, placing the pizzas down on the end table. The whole room looked shocked by his kindness, but decided to leave it alone, passing it off as a wishful thinking.

“Pika, I need some help with the popcorn,” Leorio broke the silence he had caused, walking towards the kitchen. Kurapika followed him in through the swinging door, leaving Killua and Gon alone in a practical stranger’s living room.

Without regard to this, Killua jumped over the back of the couch, gracefully landing and sitting on the sunken in cushions. Gon quickly followed suit, sitting with his legs crossed under him and facing Killua.

“So you skateboard?” He said, finally finding words.

“Oh, yeah.”

“That’s so cool!”

“I, uh.. I mean, I guess?” His face flushed a little, but his expression didn’t show it. “I’ve been doing it since I was little.”

“Wow!!! I never even learned to ride a bike, much less a skateboard.” Gon responded, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

“What? Did you do  _ anything _ as a kid?”

“Well, I lived on an island until I was 12. I used to climb trees all the time and watch sunsets with the other kids, though there were only a couple that lived there.” He got a little lost in the thought of the place he used to call home. “I got really good at fishing!”

“Hey, that’s way cooler than skateboarding.”

“I don’t know about that…” He looked down, a bit embarrassed. After that, it went silent for a few moments.

“They’ve been in there for quite some time…” Killua said, half concerned, half suspicious.

“True. I’m gonna check on them.” Gon got up before Killua could stop him, pushing the kitchen door open to reveal Kurapika leaning against the counter, Leorio standing far too close and saying something smug, probably. Worst of all, the open door echoed the sound of Kurapika  _ giggling. _ He shut the door faster than he could process and ran back to the couch, laughing with Killua about the undeniable flirting that they had just witnessed.

They heard a distant yelling from the kitchen and soon Kurapika walked out, brushing his clothing off as if wiping away the embarrassment of the situation he’d found himself in. Leorio walked out moments after him, cradling the bowl of popcorn in his arms with a dusting of rose still visible on his cheeks and ears.

“So… what movie are we watching?” Killua asked, popping the bubble of awkward silence that was suffocating the room.

“A horror.”

“A romcom.”

The two phrases were said almost simultaneously, followed by tense glares between the two older boys.

“Leorio, I thought we had already decided before they arrived that we would watch a horror.” Kurapika spoke calmly and clearly.

“Pika, you know that I think those movies are childish.”

“Actually, I know that you are j--” A hand snapped over Kurapika’s mouth, instantly muffling the final part of that sentence.

“I think we should just let the guests decide!” Leorio yelled over Kurapika’s mumbling.

“Why not both?” Killua said with a sly smirk. Gon nodded his head in agreeance.

After a sigh and a long pause, Leorio gave in. “Fine…”

The horror movie began and the room went silent, all eyes focused on the screen in front of them. The first death flashed on the screen, the dark filling the room. “Nice…” Killua mumbled. Gon turned to look at him, a bit concerned with the concept of him seemingly siding with the killer. “But it would have been too easy to escape that, if the victim had any real skill…” Killua, with far too much ease, described a way that the victim could have easily escaped death, but eventually, the words passed right through Gon, as he got lost in the way the screen lit up his crystal eyes. The quick-paced lights across his half-silhouette changed the vibrant blue hue with every flash, bringing out colors Gon didn’t think he could have conjured in his imagination before the sight crossed his irises. Sapphire couldn’t even describe the beauty in Killua’s soft cat-like eyes. A small smile crossed Killua’s lips as he caught sight of Gon’s mindless staring in his peripheral. 

On the screen, the killer was pacing in a dark hall, his next victim just beyond one door intently listening to their footsteps. Suspenseful music filled the air around them. Gon felt the blanket on his lap shift, jumping a little at the change with anxiety high from the film, only to realize it was just Killua tugging the blanket onto his own legs. Gon felt an electric shock travel down his back as the skin on Killua’s knee brushed against his own. A loud bang caught his attention on the screen as the killer began to break down the door protecting the victim. He felt his heart jump in tempo, but Gon couldn’t tell at this point if this was from the movie or from the beautiful boy who had ended up pressed against him on the three seat couch. A scream rang through the speakers, only barely masking the squeal let out from a boy on the floor in front of them. Gon and Killua peaked at the other two, only to see the owner of this girlish squeal with his face buried in Kurapika’s neck.

With many screams and ruthless deaths later, the movie had come to an end. Most of the plot escaped Gon, as he had found himself distracted by the moonlit boy beside him for a vast majority of the movie. “Ok, it’s over, Leorio. You can come out of hiding now.” Kurapika said, pulling the blanket down to reveal the lanky boy curled up in a ball. 

“I wasn’t hiding.”

“Whatever.” Kurapika said, dismissing his lie as he changed the disk in the DVD player. Color filled the lifeless screen again.

“Oh!!! I love this one!” Gon said, probably unnaturally excited about a romantic comedy for a teen boy. “Renee Zellweger is so amazing. You know, she had to gain a bunch of weight just for this movie.”

“Renee who now?” Killua furrowed his snowy brows.

“Bridget Jones, silly!” Gon pointed at the blonde girl on the title screen.

“I’ve never seen this.”

“Oh… well, she's also in Jerry Maguire, Chicago...she was on The Bachelor once!” Gon tried, only to be met with blank stares from blue eyes. “You’ve never seen any of them?!” Gon looked as if he’d been shot. “The Bee Movie?!” Killua’s eyes filled with light at that title. “WHAT?! Of  _ all _ things, you’ve seen  _ THAT _ ?!” 

“I’m just not a big fan of romance, I guess.” Killua shrugged, seeming to not understand the other boy’s intensity.

“Ok, first of all, The Bee Movie  _ is _ romance, but the world isn’t ready to have that conversation so I won’t get into that right now.” Gon was all over the place. He seemed to be incredibly passionate about romance comedies. “We have  _ GOT  _ to watch those other mov--”

The words were cut off by a large throw pillow smacking him right in the face. After the couple seconds of shock wore off, Gon focused his eyes on the angry tall boy glaring at them over his glasses from the floor below. “Hey, the movie is starting. Shut the hell up, already.”

The two younger boys laughed a little at Leorio’s serious tone for romcoms. Once he had focused his eyes back on the screen, Gon reached towards the bowl of popcorn between them. He was met with Killua’s hand, their fingers interlocking for a second, and then a second too long after that, before quickly retreating his own hand. He felt his face rash with heat as it filled with red up to his ears. In that moment, the same rush of electricity snaked up his spine, leaving him even more confused than he was the first time it had happened. Why did he feel that way when coming in contact with Killua?

Left to his confusing thoughts and silence that he debated the awkwardness of for far too long, he stared blankly at the screen in front of him again. Just as one of his favorite movies was coming to an end, he felt the other boy bump his shoulder and shifted his glance to him. He followed this boy's pointed finger to see the shadowy figures on the floor in front of them. While it was rather dark and their silhouette’s were backlit by the TV, Gon could clearly make out Kurapika’s head leaning on Leorio’s shoulder, his breathing showing on his body like an ocean tide in a steady sleep. Gon swore he could see a slight soft smile on Leorio’s face as he brought his hand up to smooth down Kurapika’s hair. 

_ He’s never smiled like that before… _ He had arguably never smiled in front of Gon at all. And, even if he had, Gon knew that Leorio’s face had never been that red before.

It was sweet.

The two younger boys made eye contact again, and a silent agreement passed between them to leave the intimate interaction that they had just witnessed unmentioned.

* * *

At home that night, Gon stared out the window across from him, head resting on the stack of pillows at the head of his bed. The moonlit town shone brightly back at him, lighting his amber eyes up with a soft hue of white. A small smile crossed his face as his eyes finally started to fall closed.

His final thought before falling asleep was a name that wouldn’t seem to leave his mind.

_ Killua... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, ok, ok.  
> so i promise to include a whole bunch more leopika in the next couple of chapters.  
> this first part of the series is wholly based around their growth as a couple after all.  
> killugon growth won't be seen as much until the second part of the series, for now  
> it's mostly just a whole lot of awkward situations that are part of the build up.
> 
> but anyways, thank you SO much for reading this and for all the kudos and comments i've received.  
> you have all been so kind and it fills my heart with immense joy that you enjoy reading this.  
> it is totally self indulgent, again, but let me know if there's any high school cliches you wanna see them in???  
> also, special shout out to my sister @ eyedropaddict on IG for reading and supporting and helping me come up with all of the ADORABLE moments that this chapter had for the movie night. i was totally creatively blocked and you gave me SO many great ideas so thank you sm. <3  
> one last thing!!! do you guys think any of the four would be in theatre? i kinda wanna do a chapter where they all end up participating in a theatre show in some way??? could be cute, idk, let me know.
> 
> as always, kudos and bookmarks are SO appreciated and comments make me absolutely beam! i check this every day like 5 times a day to respond to comments so feel free to leave any and all feedback!  
> if you wanna, you can also DM me on IG @ _sukaira (or just follow me, if you're down. it's my cosplay account so if you're into that lololol)


	4. tension x and x triumph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in the weeks leading up to their first game, Gon must train extra hard to reach the level of the rest of the team.  
> when that first game arrives, however, will the tension amongst the team be enough to drive friend's apart?
> 
> WARNING: VERY MILD HISOKA/GON CONTENT.   
> please remember that hisoka is 17 in this and gon is 14, which in NO WAY makes his actions ok, however it does make it a LITTLE less uncomfortable. the point remains that hisoka should make you very very uncomfortable in this. just wanted to put a little disclaimer in case some may be bothered by it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for the love on my last chapter!  
> i'm really grinding out chapters on this story.
> 
> i had a plot line set but, as i predicted when starting this fanfiction,  
> that whole plot has now shifted into a totally different direction.  
> still, i am SO happy with the way this story is going.
> 
> this chapter definitely leans more towards heavier plot that will be unravelled throughout later parts of the series  
> and less so of the cute fluff we got a lot of last chapter.  
> but never fear, the fluff will return soon!
> 
> and with another disclaimer about my lack of knowledge(i only know volleyball from short research and immense haikyuu binging),  
> let's get into another chaotic chapter!

As the next couple weeks went on, the volleyball team worked endlessly to prepare for their first official game of the season. While Gon had a lot of raw skill when it came to blocking and spiking balls, he still struggled a lot with the more technical aspects of the game. Particularly, receiving. After a long hard day of practice, Bisky called Gon up to speak with her.

“Gon, I’m gonna tell it to you straight.” The short blonde tugged her ponytail tighter. “You’re the weakest link on this team. You have got to step it up before the game.”

Gon’s face dropped, staring blankly at her. He had gotten so much praise before that he definitely wasn’t expecting THAT.

“Morow!” The well-built senior strided over to the other two. “Stay after and help Gon out one-on-one. I don’t care how long it takes, he needs the extra training.”

A provocative grin crossed over Hisoka’s long face. “Of course,” he hummed. “This will be fun…”

“I’m staying, too.” Killua dictated, coming up beside Gon as if he’d been eavesdropping the whole time. Gon smiled at him, unaware of the anger in his voice. This only made the grin on the tallest boy’s face grow wider.

“I don’t care who stays, I just need to see improvements tomorrow.” She grabbed her purse from the chair and looked back to the three boys. “I’ll leave the key on my desk. Morow, don’t do anything stupid.” And with that, the three teens were alone in the massive gymnasium.

Hisoka balanced a volleyball on his finger tips, eyeing the other two boys from across the net. “We’ll start simply with receiving a serve.” He dropped the ball down into his palm, his hips centered over one leg. “I’ll go easy on you…” The words came out in a purr, followed by a suggestive wink. Gon felt Killua tense up from the sideline, but he was unbothered.

His amber eyes followed the ball as the captain served it over the net. Tension built in his shoulders as he lurched forward, almost falling flat on his face and the ball slamming down just beyond his reach.

“Right…” Hisoka sighed. “We’ve got work to do.”

These antics continued for quite some time, Gon continuing to miss most of the receives with only a hair between him and the ball. Frustration had not reached him yet as he stood on his side of the net, ready to try again.

“Show me your receiving position again.” The senior ducked under the net, tossing a ball behind him carelessly. Killua caught the ball with ease, eyeing the older boy’s actions intensely. 

Hisoka stood behind Gon, placing one hand on his waist and the other on his lower abdomen, and pressed until his back was properly positioned. The younger could feel the senior’s body pressed against his own, every defined muscle and sharply cut bone in contact. A hand moved down Gon’s waist, far too close for comfort and Gon’s face flushed. 

“Try this,” Hisoka breathed, his head positioned so that Gon could feel his mouth move against his ear. The heat from his breath caused that same slithering shudder to go down his back. 

Killua couldn’t help but glare, his face filling with utter rage and the veins on his neck sticking out like ledges on a cliff. 

Despite the discomfort of the exchange, the older male’s adjustments made the future receives a little easier--emphasis on  _ a little _ . He was only picking up about two more balls than he was before. But still, progress and what not.

“Let me try.” Killua interrupted Hisoka in the middle of tossing up a serve. 

“Excuse me?” The captain’s eyebrows rose in surprise at this boy’s interruption, as if shocked that anyone would dare think they could teach Gon in a more successful manner.

“Gon, loosen up a bit. You’re too stiff.” Killua walked onto the court, demonstrating a nearly flawless stance and the flexibility that it provided. “You also need to want it more. Run for it and don’t let that ball hit the ground, no matter what, okay?”

Gon’s expression transformed from awestruck to a beaming smile in almost no time. “Okay!”

With this advice in mind, Hisoka continued his serve, arching the ball over the net and far from Gon’s reach. Just as the ball was inches from the wooden surface, Gon’s hand slid under it and sent it flying back over to the opposing side. A loud clap rang through the empty building as it hit the floor in front of Hisoka. 

“Nice shot!!!” Killua cheered.

“Is that really the best you’ve got?” The third party mused. Both boys snapped their heads towards him, wondering what more he could want.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Killua groaned. “That was a nearly perfect receive!”

“Hmmm… Let’s see if you can do it again.”

After about an hour of back and forth, Gon was barely missing any of the receives. It was typical for receives to take months, even years, to perfect. However, Gon and his friend had somehow managed to do it in a short two hours. It was a good thing, too, since their first game was only one week away.

* * *

Practices started to run much smoother with the extra time Gon spent learning the basics. He had never realized just how much technique actually went into this game he’d played casually for countless summers.

Time flew as his anticipation rose for his first ever real volleyball game and before he knew it, the yellow bus windows reflected the prodigious gym of their very first opponents, Phantom High School. As the group of boys travelled down the halls of this school, following their tiny coach like a line of ants, Gon stared in awe at the trophy cases lining the walls. He had never seen many school’s outside of the few he had attended and it was clear.

“Pick your jaw up off of the floor,” Killua teased, gently pushing the awestruck boy while they walked. A flush crept up Gon’s face at this, flashing a sheepish smile in the other boy’s direction.

Distant echoes drew closer as they approached the threshold of the home of their very first game. Once crossed, a massive high ceiling filled to the brim with seating was revealed. A scattered crowd sat above, facing towards the center where a net divided the wooden flooring. The gym was essentially the exact same as their own high school’s, but somehow they had managed to make this one three times the size.

As soon as they entered, other teams stared, halting their stretching or practicing. A few hushed whispers were exchanged, before one member of the team said, far too loudly, “Check out that young thang! Is that their coach? She’s smokin’ hot!”

Bisky shot the teen a shining glare, a small smile hidden under the shadow. The whispers quickly stopped and everyone resumed their original activities like nothing had happened. Gon heard Killua chuckle a little and looked over at the boy with his hands folded behind his head. 

“They’d be disappointed to find out the truth about Bisky… old hag.”

“What are you talking about, Killua?” Gon asked, innocently.

“Bisky’s like 50 years old.”

Gon’s jaw actually hit the floor this time, and he stood like a statue as his brain processed what he’d just heard. After coming back from the momentary death, he ran to catch up with his teammates.

As the two teams lined up on the back of their respective court sides, Gon could feel the intense glares that the other team offered them. He shifted his eyes across the competition, landing on the team captain who was standing across from Hisoka in front of the Referee. He had slicked back black hair and bold, but soft, grey eyes. A headband covered his forehead and he wore small blue earrings in each ear.

Hisoka seemed eager to begin their match. Gon had heard rumours that this game in particular was the biggest rivalry of the whole season. The two captains had a history, from what he’d heard, of overly competitive behavior towards each other. 

A piercing whistle blow signaled the beginning of their game and the teams got into starting positions on the court. 

“Well, well, well… It seems as if these first years get shorter every year.” A blonde boy with a bright expression hardened his green eyes on Gon’s features. “How sad that we have to crush their dreams of victory so early in the season, huh Feitan?” His glance shifted to the expressionless dark-haired boy beside him, or  _ “Feitan” _ , as the other had just called him. His comments made Gon fume with anger, but a smile still crept up his face under his intense dark eyes.

A second whistle sounded, alerting the other team that they had eight seconds to make their first serve. Up first to serve was the team's number 2, a tall man with lengthy black hair tied up into a tight ponytail. He aggressively smacked the ball hanging above him in an arch to the opposing side, only to have the ball quickly retrieved by Killua. He sent it straight to his brother to set and Illumi followed the set straight to Hisoka’s open hand, smacking it down onto the floor beyond the net. Gon watched in amazement at the height of the spike, and the way the ball floated down, barely grazing the fingertips of the wall of blockers the other team had set.

The first point was theirs. All they had to do now was keep the same rhythm.

Gon’s excitement built as he ran to receive a ball that had managed to escape Hisoka and Illumi’s block. He slid across the floor on his stomach and smacked the ball back up in the air at the last second. Suspense hung around them all as they’d reached their final touch.

“I got it!” A voice rang, echoing with the distant sounds of sneakers squeaking on the wooden floors. Everything turned to slow motion as Gon watched Killua jump up and slam a ball towards the opposing side once more. The air rushing past his face pushed his hair back, showing off his gorgeous moon-toned skin and exposing the shine of excitement in his eyes. Gon really admired this boy… Even though it was just like practice, the thrill was so much greater in the midst of a real game.

His daydream shattered around him as the blockers managed to smack the ball back down in front of their team’s feet.

1-1.

“It’s all right, shake it off!” He heard Bisky yell from the side lines as rage took over Killua’s expression. With a frustrated huff, they rotated into their next positions.

The game went on this way for quite some time--a constant game of tag for who would take the lead--until the second set was coming to a close. Hunter had won the first set by a very slim difference, and now held the lead at 23-22. The tension was high. While they may have had the upper hand, Phantom didn’t seem worried at all.

Just then, a whistle cut through the tension in the crowd. The blonde who had insulted Gon at the start of the game was being taken out. Seeing this boy get benched gave Gon a large sense of pride. However, the monstrous teenager-- _ how was HE a teenager? _ \--that was taking his place made Gon’s heart race. He nearly looked like a werewolf, with overbearing sideburns that took up most of his cheeks and long spiked unruly hair draped over his shoulders. And, to make it even worse, he stood in perfect position to block any spikes their team tried.

The ball began to fly around the court again, passing between hits until it landed in Illumi’s hands for another set. Killua jumped up quickly, ready to spike the perfectly arched set and the blockers were convinced, hovering by his side of the court. However, leaving no room for the other team to process, Illumi redirected the set to the other end of the court, where Hisoka waited patiently. He gracefully smacked down a spike and cheers erupted as the Ref gestured to their side of the court.

24-22. Match point.

Even with high morale, the next spike was not so easy. The new teammate on the Phantom’s side of the court hardly needed to jump at all in order to block the perfect combo that Illumi and Killua had demonstrated a hundred times before. The floors rattled as the ball he’d blocked crashed to the floor on Hunter High’s side of the net. Gon dove for the ball, but was a millisecond too late.

24-23.

The proximity of a win made Gon’s body buzz with adrenaline.

A whistle blew and the boys on the court froze. Bisky had called a timeout. 

As the team circled around her, water bottles in nearly every boy’s hand, Bisky laid out her plans. “We need to throw them off. One more point and we can win this. So, here’s the plan…”

They lined back up on the court, the dark-haired boy glancing over to Killua to find that he was already looking his way. They shared a soft smile and then immediately focused on the task at hand. 

One more point.

Everything was going exactly to Bisky’s plan. Illumi had contact with the ball, preparing to set for the match spike. From three different points of the court, Gon, Hisoka and Killua darted towards the net, all seeming to be going for the set with one-hundred percent of their energy. The expression that covered their opponents faces was something Gon would never forget. A smirk crossed his face as he went to jump into the air. Blockers spread out across the net, completely at a loss for which opponent to cover. Just as he saw the ball hit the highest peak in the air, headed directly for Killua’s open hand as planned, Gon felt a heavy weight push him down onto the ground, a weight that knocked the breath out of him. A couple of rolls across hardwood later, Gon opened his eyes to find himself pinned onto the ground, familiar magenta hair hanging down into his face and a slender face mere centimeters away from his own.

“Ooh, Gon…” The older male almost moaned, smirking down at him. Gon’s face went completely red and he turned his face away from the team captain.

“You’re… r-really close right now,” Gon spoke softly, that same familiar slimy feeling creeping up his spine.

A whistle blew as the Ref awarded Hunter their final point and the typical cheers of a team that had just won a game were replaced by leering eyes directed at the current situation. 

“GET THE HELL OFF OF HIM, MOROW!!!” Killua screamed. Gon shifted his eyes to see Illumi holding his brother back, staring blankly at the two on the floor.

“Come on…” Hisoka purred, playfully playing with a strand of black hair. “We were only having a little fun…”

“You’re...really heavy,” Gon choked out.

The other male finally began to move at this comment, chuckling softly at the smaller boy’s scarlet face. Killua growled from his place in Illumi’s grasp.

“Alright, alright. Break it up!” Bisky called. “You just won the game, why is it so tense?!”

“Did you not just see what happened?!” Killua roared, finally breaking free from his brother’s tugging arm, running to help Gon to his feet. “He’s  **_not_ ** interested, Morow. Back. Down.” Killua fumed through clenched teeth, his eyes never leaving the thin golden hues of his team captain.

Hisoka’s grin grew as he stared down at his pointed nails. “It was a simple accident,  _ Killu _ . I don’t know why you’re so worked up ov--”

“Like  **_HELL_ ** it was!” This nickname only seemed to aggravate Killua more, as if there was some unspoken memory behind it that Gon was unaware of. Killua lurched towards the taller male. “You can’t keep harassing underclassmen to get off, Morow, it--”

“Killua!” Gon screamed, stepping between the blood thirsty boy and his prey. His eyes were pure black. “Now is not the time, nor place, to make accusations like that,” His voice was now a low hiss. “It was a mere  _ accident _ . Back down.”

Killua’s stone eyes sparked, his glance never leaving that of the evil-doer that Gon protected. “Fine,” He spit out, holding his glare for one more second before retreating back to where the coach had gathered the rest of the team. Gon relaxed a little, following Killua back to the circle surrounding Bisky. Behind him, he heard a self-satisfied chuckle ring low from Hisoka’s throat.

* * *

The game had ended and they’d won, but Gon didn’t feel excited or happy. If anything, he felt sick to his stomach. How could he have yelled at one of his only friends? Killua probably hated him. 

_ But he was wrong.  _ Gon insisted.  _ Hisoka had good intentions… There’s no way he didn’t. _

_ Right? _

As they retreated back to the bus surrounded by the excited chatter of their teammates, Killua walked far ahead of Gon. 

“Killua!” Gon called, finally catching up. When he arrived at Killua’s side, he found his expression still intense and his usually crystal eyes hard as stone.

“Hey.”

“Hi...I’m…” He was at a loss for words, yet again. This wasn’t common for him. “I’m sorry for what happened back there.”  
“Why the hell are _you_ apologizing?” Killua grunted, hands shoved in his pockets.

Gon stopped in his tracks, taken aback, while the other boy continued walking ahead of him. “Oh..uh…” He jogged to catch up again, confused as ever. “I don’t know, I just thought you were angry with me so I--”

“Angry with you?!” Killua spun on his heel, stopping so suddenly that the two almost collided. His voice was harsh. “Never, Gon…” His tone resolved into honey, tenseness in his shoulders evaporating almost instantaneously as amber eyes locked with his. “Listen, there’s… there’s just a lot that you don’t know about Hisoka.” Gon’s eyes looked expectant, almost begging for him to go on. Killua refrained. “I can’t go much deeper into it than that, but just be careful around him, ok?” His cheeks went pink and he rubbed his neck, breaking eye contact. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Despite his confusion, Gon smiled, almost tackling the other boy in a hug. “Ok…” He said softly against Killua’s chest. Killua melted around Gon’s smaller frame. “I understand.”

The two of them boarded the bus, sitting together so they could share Killua’s airpods again. With that, their first game was over and the journey home began. As he watched the school disappear from the giant bus windows, Gon’s phone buzzed in his hand.

the fantastic four :D

7:54p.m. P: How did the game go?

7:54p.m. G: kp, you remembered we had a game today?! :)))

7:54p.m. L: Yea, it’s really annoying.

7:54p.m. L: He was worried about you stupid punks all night.

7:55p.m. K: rofl 

7:55p.m. K: don’t act like you don’t care, leorio.

7:55p.m. L: I don’t tho

7:55p.m. K: mhm.

7:55p.m. L: I don’t!

7:56p.m. P: Mhm.

7:56p.m. L: You know what--

7:56p.m. G: lolol you guysss

7:56p.m. K: we won the game by the way.

7:57p.m. L: Wow, really?

7:57p.m. P: Congratulations, you two!

7:57p.m. G: why’d you sound so surprised leorio? :O

7:57p.m. P: He just likes to be an ass.

7:58p.m. P: What do you say we celebrate your victory with ice cream?

7:58p.m. K: hell yeah!

7:58p.m. G: sounds fun! let me check with aunt mito!

mama mito

7:59p.m. G: hey, aunt mito!

7:59p.m. G: we’re headed home now.

7:59p.m. G: we won the game!!!

8:00p.m. M: Congrats, kiddo!

8:00p.m. G: thanks! :)))

8:00p.m. G: hey, is it ok if i go get ice cream with killua?

8:01p.m. M: Not tonight.

8:01p.m. M: I actually need to have a talk with you when you get home.

8:01p.m. M: Right away.

The words on the blue screen made his stomach churn. Aunt Mito needed to  _ talk _ to him? About what? His anxiety spiked like crazy and he decided it was better to wait and find out at home.

mama mito

8:02p.m. G: ok.

the fantastic four :D

8:02p.m. G: hey, um… i actually can’t tonight!

8:02p.m. G: sorry, guys.

The rest of the bus ride only made his sickness worse. The movements of the bus only made his stomach flip. His head wandered to a hundred reasons why Mito would want to talk to him. It was a personal hell.

* * *

When he finally arrived home, the house was quiet as ever. He walked into the kitchen to see Aunt Mito at the table, with her arms folded in front of her chest.

“Sit.” Her finger directed him to the seat across from hers.

Her face was stern and her tone was as sturdy as it’s ever been.

At this point, Gon was one-hundred percent sure that he was going to throw up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this definitely got a LOT more tense than i expected it to.  
> i'm curious on any predictions you guys might have based on some of the foreshadowing i put into this chapter  
> and on what Aunt Mito is so darn upset about.
> 
> as always, let me know what you guys think!!!  
> i'm super excited to keep writing this story, i'm having WAY too much fun with it lolol.  
> thank you so much for reading!  
> kudos and bookmarks are so so so appreciated and comments absolutely make my day!  
> if you have any questions(or just wanna follow my cosplay account, who knows)  
> my IG is @ _sukaira!  
> have a lovely day!!! :D


	5. moments x and x midterms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon finds out what made Aunt Mito so angry and it puts his relationship with Killua on the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so   
> this took me FOREVER.  
> i think i’ll probably do a weekly posting schedule from now on because i really burned outtttt after the first four chapters.  
> motivation and creativity have been low and i’ve been focusing on things outside of the Killugon world for the first time in a minuteee.
> 
> so, from now on, expect updates from me every wednesday. (i know it isn’t wednesday today but i normally work weekends so i want to give myself leeway in the future.)

“I don’t want you seeing that boy anymore.”

The words tore at his chest. He knew that this was building up, and he was prepared for the kickback when Mito found out, but he didn’t think that she’d ever bring the single most important person in his life into it.  _ Single most important…? _ The thought came to his mind without any conscious choice. But why did he think that?  _ I’ve known Zushi for years, so why would Killua be the most important?  _

“What?! Mito, this isn’t his fault!” His thoughts subsided and he refocused on the matter at hand. He could  _ not _ let Killua go. Not over this.

“I called Mr. Wing. He says you’re always distracted by that boy in class.” Aunt Mito stared at him with crossed arms. Her expression didn’t budge. “I mean, have you taken a single page of notes for Biology?”

“I—“ He couldn’t think of anything to say. He  _ hadn’t _ taken notes. He didn’t even know what they were talking about in class. He’d made a 40 on the first test… Silence hung above them for a few moments. 

“He does really well in that class.” Gon finally choked out. “What if.. What if he helped me study? What if I prove that I can focus?”

“Gon—we agreed that you wouldn’t get a grade lower than a 75. You know our dea—“

“Please, Aunt Mito.”

She hesitated for a moment before her expression softened with a sigh. The gleam in his eyes was undeniable. Killua was very important to him.

“Ok,” She said, finally, met with Gon jumping up to hug her and running past her towards the stairs. “But if the grades don’t improve fast, they’ll take you off the volleyball team!” She called after him. Another sigh left her lungs as she turned back to the table, eyeing the report card that started this fiasco.

***

the lunch club

9:16pm G: hey.

9:16pm G: leo, kp

9:16pm L: Yo

9:16pm P: What’s up, Gon?

9:16pm K: why not me? :/

9:17pm G: are you guys good at biology???

9:17pm P: I’m not great, but Leorio is planning to go to Med school. He’s very good.

9:18pm L: I am.

9:18pm L: Pika takes incredible notes.

9:18pm K: i’m good at biology. why not me??

9:18pm G: oh!!! yay!

9:18pm L: Why? 

9:19pm G: :(

9:19pm G: i’m failing.

9:19pm P: I’ve still got all of my notes.

9:19pm K: why am i being ignored?

9:19pm G: really?? so you guys will help me study?!

9:20pm P: Sure!

9:20pm G: you, too, Killua!

9:20pm K: oh, so i exist now. got it.

9:20pm L: Rofl

9:20pm K: ew, don’t use text talk, old man.

9:21pm G: so where can we study?

9:21pm K: leorio’s again?

9:21pm L: Why my house?

9:21pm L: Why not Kurapika’s?

9:22pm P: No.

9:22pm L: Come on, Pika. You never let anyone come over.

9:22pm P: I know.

9:22pm L: Just once?

9:22pm P: No.

9:23pm L: Why not?

9:23pm P: Leorio, it would be beneficial for you to stop asking.

9:23pm L: Pika, I’m gonna see your place eventually.

9:23pm P: No.

9:23pm P: You won’t.

9:23pm P: Now leave it alone.

9:23pm K: oop.

9:24pm G: um…

9:24pm G: ok.. we can do it at my house tmrw at 6.

9:24pm G: :)

9:24pm K: i’m down for that.

The group chat was silent for the rest of the night.

***

pika boo :P

5:49pm P: Hey, I’m so sorry but Leorio and I can't make it tonight.

5:49pm G: oh! it’s ok. killua will probably be sufficient. :)

5:50pm P: Yes. Good luck, by the way.

5:50pm G: what do you mean by that?

5:50pm P: Nothing. Just.. have fun, is all.

le’ oreo :D

5:50pm L: [[sent an attachment]](https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-plan-the-perfect-study-date/)

5:50pm L: Good luck, indeed. ;)

Gon clicked the link on the cryptic message and his eyes went wide at the title.  _ Date?! _ His mind ran wild with this thought.  _ If they think it’s a date, does Killua think it is? What does a study date even insinuate??? Why am I even freaking out about this?! I’m not into Killua. I don’t like guys.  _

_ Right?! _

killua :)

5:54pm K: hey, i’ll be there in like 2 minutes.

Gon snapped to reality as the message popped up at the top of his screen. He had been completely zoned out and didn’t even realize what time it was. He looked around, as if just now discovering that his room was a total wreck.  _ Killua’s gonna be here. In MY room. _

In one hurried motion, he scooped up the pile of clothes and dumped it into the laundry basket on the floor of his closet. He shoved the action figures that had fallen off his dresser into a drawer and straightened the comforter that had been strewn across the very bottom corner of his bed.

Just as he was stuffing the final piles of clothing into his closet and struggling to shut the door on the sleeves of multiple shirts, he heard the voices of his aunt and Killua drawing closer to his door.

With one final swipe across the floor to shove the last scraps of trash under the bed, his bedroom door creaked open.

“Hey!” He said, awkwardly plopping onto the bed as if he wasn’t sweating from the unexpected cardio moments before.

“Hey, Gon.” Killua smiled, seeming not to notice the strangeness in Gon’s voice. He dropped his book bag onto the ground next to the desk. “Where’s the other two?”

“Oh! They can’t come.” Gon stood, pulling the other chair up to the desk for Killua to sit in. His mind went back to the panic as the article resurfaced in his mind.  _ This isn’t a date, Gon. Relax. _

“Oh, ok. Fuck..” Gon glanced down at the boy. “I forgot my textbook,” He said, rummaging in his bag.

“Oh, it’s fine! I have mine.” The dark haired boy leaned over the bed to grab the book from beneath his night stand. He set it down on the desk, brushing the dust off of the cover. 

Killua let out a slight chuckle. “Have you opened this thing one time?”

“Hushhh, I don’t like science, ok?” Gon whined, pouting at the other as he sat down.

“You seem to smile a lot in biology class for someone who doesn’t like science.” Blue eyes met amber with a smirk. Gon felt his heart lurch at the taller boy’s suggestion, feeling their shoulders brush. He realized how close the two were sitting now and red crept up his cheeks. His throat went dry.

“We should… get started,” he choked out, finally breaking eye contact. The spine of the textbook cracked as it was opened, as they do when they’re opened for the very first time. This made Killua laugh a little more. Gon shot him another pouty glance.

Killua began to spew about Biology things, like amoebas and mitochondria and stuff (idk, i’m with Gon. biology is tough broski.), but Gon found himself losing focus again. He became very conscious of Killua’s proximity as his lungs filled with the sweet scent of his cologne. “Gon. Are you paying attention?”

“Y-yeah, the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell,” he mumbled, a blush taking over his tan freckled cheeks.

Killua snickered, flicking the other boy in the center of his forehead. “Focus, Freecss. We need you on the team.”

Gon was stunned for a couple seconds but then quickly nodded, snapping his focus back onto the note covered desk.

His focus held for a little longer this time, but while he copied down the notes that Killua was reading to him and explaining, he got lost doodling smiley faces and stars on the top of the page. Killua’s pen met his paper and he drew an angry face in the center of the galaxy Gon was creating. “Gon,” he grumbled.

“Sorry!” Gon smiled, the familiar flush returning. He looked back down at the notes and started writing about the nervous system or something(dude, i have no idea what unit they’re on, i’m just making shit up. :D). His head still spun and he found himself completely lost in thought again. He placed his hands down on the table, one falling right into the center of a textbook page.

“This is another example here…” Killua, lost in his explanation, shifted his hand across the textbook and brushed the top of Gon’s hand. The contact lasted seconds, lingering far longer than it should have, before Gon pulled his hand back to brush hair behind his ear. Killua continued after a short pause, albeit his voice was a little shakier than before.

“Ok, so the order is Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order…” His words began to slow as his eyes met Gon’s gaze and he realized how zoned out the other boy was. Their faces were closer than they had been before and Gon had just been staring at Killua’s lips moving. He felt his heart leap as a magnetic force seemed to draw him towards the other boy. His breath got shallower as the distance between them closed in. Neither said a word and the entire world around them seemed to go dark. The only thing that Gon could focus on was Killua. It had been true this whole time.

Gon felt his heart racing as their faces drew closer and closer. With their lips only millimeters apart, a knock on the door broke the force pulling them together. They both flew back into their seats, turning their faces away from each other. 

“C-come in!” Gon stared at his lap, his face completely red this time. Aunt Mito gently opened the door, holding a tray of snacks for the two teens. It was clear to her that she had interrupted something by the tension between them and the flush across both of their faces.

“I brought some snacks..” She said sweetly, setting the tray down beside them. Her presence lingered at the door for a second before she nodded and awkwardly took her leave.

Silence echoed through the room and Gon felt like he was about to implode right there. His mind shot back to the study date article and he felt his mind start running in circles. Finally, Killua cleared his throat. Gon let out his breath and decided that he needed to forget about this for now. After all, he HAD to pass this class or else he’d  _ never _ resolve what just happened between them. Shoving every feeling to the back of his mind, he stared down at the notes intently. 

“Let’s get back to it…” He forced a small smile, avoiding eye contact with Killua.

***

That night, the same moonlit city reflected in Gon’s caramel eyes, lighting up his face. His mind raced with thoughts of what had happened that day. He had always been so sure of himself. He knew that he’d find a girl and settle down some day. He swore he’d be a father to someone’s child, and a damn good one at that. He swore he’d never leave his children behind. Never.

_ A girl… _ His mind kept repeating.  _ No. I can’t possibly feel what I’m feeling. _ He turned over in his bed, the pale white moon shining bright behind him.  _ Killua is a friend. Nothing more. _

Despite this insistent thought that he was sure that he’d convince himself of, blue eyes shined at him every time he closed his eyes.

***

Over the following days, Gon continued to study the abundance of notes he had ended up printing copies of on his own time. He knew he’d never be able to focus with Killua around so he had to take matters into his own hands. 

Before he knew it, his time was up. It was the day of the biology midterm. Pass or fail, friend or acquaintance, court or bench; it was all up to this one single test. Gon had calculated it a hundred times while procrastinating in his late night study sessions. With his current 59 average, he only had to make an 81 on the midterm to pass this half of the term. It wasn’t that hard.

Right?

Lucky for him, Mr. Wing had a specifically assigned seating chart for test days and that specifically assigned him to be on the polar opposite side of the classroom from Killua. Convenient, right?

He glanced over the notes one last time before entering the battle zone. This was it. No going back.  _ Here we go… _

***

killua :)

6:09pm G: is your test grade in yet?

6:09pm K: no.

6:09pm K: you?

6:10pm G: not yet :(

6:10pm G: he said by 6pm!!!! ;-;

6:11pm K: to be fair, the guy can’t even keep his shirt tucked in.

6:11pm K: not exactly the cover model for “responsibility”

6:11pm G: true lolol

6:12pm G: let me know if you get yours. 

6:12pm K: i will.

6:15pm K: gon

6:15pm G: yea?

6:16pm K: don’t worry, ok?

6:16pm K: you worked your ass off for that grade.

6:16pm K: it’ll pay off. 

6:17pm G: …

6:17pm G: thanks, killua. :)

6:17pm G: i really hope so.

6:18pm K: if not, what’s really on the line?

6:18pm K: volleyball???

6:18pm K: you can miss out on one season, it wouldn’t be that bad.

More was on the line than Killua even knew. Killua was on the line... the boy that Gon was closest with, the boy that he had trusted with almost everything, the boy that he— 

well... the boy that he really liked being around.

Gon’s heart dropped as he thought about the real stakes. Aunt Mito was kind, but she meant business when it came to Gon’s future. Now that Killua posed a threat, she wouldn’t allow him to stick around for a second chance if Gon couldn’t make this right.

_ And I'd lose my best friend… _

6:20pm G: yea…

6:20pm G: just a season of volleyball.

Gon dropped his phone on his stomach and stared up at his popcorn ceiling, analyzing every jutted spot and every bit of the texture, making shapes out of it until his eyes fell closed.

***

He jolted awake to a pitch black room, sitting up in a sweat. had he really fallen asleep at 6:30pm? Jesus...

He checked his phone, squinting at the bright blue light and quickly turning his brightness to its lowest setting.

3:48a.m.

Suddenly he remembered the test. His thumbs flew towards his email, searching for that message from Wing containing the number that he’d worked so hard to achieve. He settled his eyes on it, tapping the screen rapidly, as if that would make the email load any faster. His heart jumped to his throat. 

A 98...

How was that even possible??? He could have sworn he knew less than half of the answers on that test, even though he’d studied for so long... 

He turned onto his stomach and screamed into his pillow, smiling wider than he thought he ever could.

With a quick flip back over onto his back, Gon went back to squinting at the bright light in his hands. 

killua :)

7:16pm K: the scores are up.

7:16pm K: how’d you do, brainiac?

3:50am G: i made a 98!!!

3:51am K: hey, nice!!!

3:51am K: see… i told you there was nothing to worry about.

3:51am G: yeah… you were right. :)

3:52am G: hey, what’re you still doing up?

3:52am K: i could ask you the same question, freecss.

3:52am G: fair enough. 

3:53am G: are you planning on sleeping anytime soon?

3:53am K: probably not.

3:53am K: i just had a red bull, so i’m kinda wired, ngl.

3:53am G: lololol

3:54am K: what’s funny?

3:54am G: i just can’t imagine you being wired.

3:54am K: my version of wired is probably much different from yours.

3:54am G: probably.

3:55am K: hey

3:55am K: since we’re both up

3:55am K: you wanna facetime?

Gon stared up at his phone and a grin covered his face. A scarlet hue travelled up his cheeks.

3:55am G: yeah! :)

**_killua :) is calling..._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was SO hard to write.  
> studying tropes are not at large, ngl.
> 
> ALSO, i’m debating starting another fic (lolol as if i keep up with this one SO well) with a college au killugon situation.  
> basically a ton of romcom tropes, from a fake relationship to save face with family over christmas to a relationship that starts with them being unable to stand each other. killua would probably be a conan gray vibe and write songs that he sings at the local coffee shop. idk let me know what you think.
> 
> i also need group chat name suggestions if you have any. i am so incredibly not creative lolol.
> 
> anywho,  
> i hope you liked this chapter!  
> let me know what you think in the comments, i always love reading your predictions and your reactions on your favorite parts!  
> kudos and bookmarks are also super appreciated.
> 
> alsooo special shoutout to the people who also write high school au killugon fics. seeing a familiar name commenting on my fic makes me so happy because all of you are phenomenal writers. :) <3  
> anyway i talk a lot.  
> have a good week!!!


	6. cookies x and x confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon and Killua bake cookies in Culinary, but does that stop them from having insanely awkward romance tropes? Absolutely not. Also, Killua might just confess some feelings, who knows? Not even me, honestly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys did you know its wednesday?  
> lolol well i finished another chapter because i had some free time and  
> i originally intended on holding onto chapters until the day i plan to post every week  
> but i can't wait.
> 
> i might try to write another chapter before wednesday, who knows
> 
> this chapter is a little shorter than the others but believe me when i say  
> it is about to get plot/angst heavy (as angsty as a coming-of-age movie can get without being a john green novel)  
> i'm really excited about the chapters coming up.  
> anyways, onward. :)

The alarm sounded the next morning directly in Gon’s ear. He groggily flipped over to find his phone on his pillow, directly beside his head. After accidentally hitting ‘snooze’ instead of ‘stop’(i do this every morning, i swear to god), he was met with the live image of a sleeping Killua across his screen. A soft smile crossed his lips as he watched the other’s chest move with the rhythm of his breath.

Gon’s glance shifted and he was overtaken by an uneasy feeling. Maybe it was a little creepy to stare at your friend while he was sleeping… 

7:46AM.

Shit… Gon had overslept. He must have missed the other six alarms he had set for school days. Was Killua going to get up?

“Killua…” He croaked. The other boy didn’t even flinch. “Hey… Killua, it’s almost 8.” A soft groan sounded through Gon’s phone speaker. Tousled white hair lifted from the mountain of black-cased pillows and revealed sapphire eyes. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Gon’s smile grew at the tired look in the other boy’s eyes.

Killua blinked a couple times and finally his eyes focused on the dark(rather messy) haired boy on his phone screen. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but here he was, waking up to the brightest smile he could stand to look at. As always, the other boy’s smile immediately infected his own lips. “Hi… I guess we fell asleep…”

“Well, Red Bull can only keep a person awake for so long.” Gon teased. The alarm sounded again, scaring the living hell out of him. He had completely forgotten that he’d hit snooze before. Luckily, however, this reminded him that they were both supposed to be in class in approximately thirty minutes. “Oh, hey, it’s almost eight.”

“Oh, shit, really?” Killua shifted to a seated position, picking his phone up from it’s place leaned against a box on his nightstand. “Fuckkk, I forgot to plug my phone in. I gotta go, it’s on two perce--”

And with that, the screen went dark and the call had been cut off.

***

The next time Gon saw Killua was in the cafeteria that afternoon. He chalked up his absence in their biology class to a lack of time to get ready this morning. Gon would’ve missed himself if it wasn’t for Aunt Mito. She could not catch wind of Killua getting in the way of his studies again. That was a battle he knew he’d lose.

Lunch had been shockingly awkward until Killua arrived, showing almost no signs of sleep deprivation despite the hours they spent on the phone the night before. Kurapika and Leorio were at each other’s throats even more than usual. It was an endless back and forth of snarky comments met with clever comebacks(it should be made clear that Leorio was  _ not _ the clever one in this instance--or any instance, for that matter.) and everything seemed to have some sort of underlying meaning that Gon wasn’t privy to. Needless to say, he was absolutely delighted to see the blue-eyed boy striding up to their table. He would finally have someone to talk to and stop being in the center of the circus that  _ was _ Leorio and Kurapika’s relationship.

“Killua!” His smile beamed at the other boy like a truck coming right at him in the middle of a dark highway. “You’re here!”

“Yea,” Killua breathed, sitting down with his bag set on the lunch table. “Sorry, I had to take care of some things.”

“What things did you have to ‘take care of’ on a Thursday morning?” He used air quotes over his plagarized speech.

“Just...some family stuff.” He spoke suspiciously, even though Gon was totally messing with him. His playful look quickly melted into concern as the other boy’s tone met his ears. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Um.. ok?” He tried not to pry, but the dark-haired boy couldn’t help but worry a little bit. Or...worry a lot a bit, to the point that it was nearly all he could think about for the rest of the lunch period.

***

Some would say that having Culinary class directly after lunch was inconvenient. However, some clearly do not have the appetite of Gon and Killua. Culinary had quickly become both of their favorite classes, from the time they got to spend laughing over the other melting a cake pan or accidentally setting the microwave on fire with aluminum foil (which was actually a very specific time and, yes, Gon was definitely the one who did it) to the gourmet food that Buhara always had ready for them to taste test when they walked into class, the period was practically heaven. 

Today, in particular, had excited the boys all week long. Today, they would finally get to cook together again--despite Buhara’s original refusal to pair them after the previous instances. It was a simple task, however, which is why Buhara eventually gave in to their begging. After all, who could fuck up cookies? (spoiler alert: they can.)

“Make sure to follow the directions that are taped onto the desks!” Buhara called over the chattering classroom. “Freecss, Zoldyck--I’m talking to you.” He gave them a glare under the smile he always had plastered on his face. 

“So we just mix all this shit together and shove it in the oven.” Killua had completely ignored Buhara’s warning, as per usual, and simply skimmed over the instructions. “Seems easy enough.”

Gon nodded eagerly, willing to go along with anything if it meant less time wasted reading on his part. They began to haphazardly combine ingredients in the mixing bowl, measuring every other thing with zero precision whatsoever.

“Here, taste this.” Killua lifted the whisk to Gon’s mouth, almost hitting him in the face with it. Gon laughed a bit and licked some batter off of the metal(disgustinggg). They had tuned out Buhara’s warnings about eating raw batter a hundred times before, and this time definitely wasn’t any different. It was a wonder they weren’t kicked out of the class, yet, honestly.

“Ooh, it’s good!” He smiled brightly at the other boy, and the tiny splash of batter on his nose stuck out in Killua’s vision. 

“Hold on--” The pale finger brushed against Gon’s freckled nose softly, picking up the batter with ease. “Got it.” He smiled, and the tan skin transformed to pink before his eyes. His bubbly expression was covered by an awestruck mood instead, and he stared at Killua with a gaping mouth.

“T-thanks..” After a couple seconds of tension between their magnetic eyes, Gon picked up the whisk and flicked cookie batter onto the white-haired boy. He was met with a gasp and a hand full of batter plopped on his cheek, dripping down the side of his face. It quickly became a full-out war, the clumpy mixture flying between them until their bowl was almost half as full as before.

“Boys!” The teacher assistant snapped. They looked up to see her braided teal hair standing a short few feet away from them. “Why are we wasting perfectly good ingredients? Lord--no one takes baking seriously these days! I’ll never understand the disrespect youth has for our culinary founding fathers…”

The two boys watched her walk away with her grumbling continuing and then slowly turned back to each other. The second their eyes met, their previous endless fit of laughter echoed through the room again.

“You should be putting your cookies into the oven now.” Buhara announced as he kept time before the class ended. In a much bigger hurry now, the teens rushed to form their cookies on the tray, getting them into the oven in what would probably have been record time, had they actually been note-worthy cooks.

They sat in the stools by their assigned desks and began to play cards to pass the time. “3 aces,” Gon said, slapping the cards down between them.

“Bullshit.” Killua said without a beat. 

“How did you know!!!” The whine of the other boy had become very familiar to Killua, after playing BS with him multiple times over the school year.

“You have a tell.” He insisted for the hundredth time. Gon had bothered him endlessly over this fact, demanding that Killua told him his alleged “tell.” Killua dropped his hand down to put his cards on the pile, just as Gon began to lift the stack into his own deck. Their hands met in the middle of the air, as they inevitably do anytime the two were alone, and lingered at the electric shock sent between them. Both of them went silent, the memory of their almost-kiss playing in their minds.

“Gon, I--”

“Um…”

They spoke simultaneously.

“Oh, sorry, go ahead.” Killua clenched his teeth.

“No, you go…” Gon said softly, staring intently at the cards in his hands, definitely not avoiding Killua’s eyes at all.

“I just… um--” The white-haired boy took a deep breath. He wasn’t good with feelings. Hell, he’d never even experienced a real friendship before this, much less the undeniable spark he felt with the boy in front of him. “I think that I might be fall--”

Before he could finish his thought, a deafening beeping filled the atmosphere and the sky opened up with an uncomfortably ill-scented liquid, drenching the boys.

“Not again…” Buhara grumbled, grabbing the red evacuation bag off of the wall. “Everyone stay calm! Leave your belongings and follow the evacuation route. You all know the way by now.”

Gon was half way out the door before Killua had recollected himself, quickly getting up to follow the others as the room filled with an all-too-familiar grey dusty hue.

***

“You two have GOT to stop setting fire to things.” The wrinkles on the man at the desk across from them looked deeper than ever. His gray hair was cascading down his shoulders, as he’d let it down due to the “headache caused by the two of them.” Gon shifted in his seat. He knew if Aunt Mito was called about this one, he might lose his friend. It was all he could think about. “I mean, wax paper? Really?”

“To be fair, wax paper looks nearly identical to parchment paper,” Killua was quick to refute, seemingly unbothered by their third trip to Principal Netero’s office due to near fatalities in Culinary. “Besides, Buhara  _ really  _ shouldn’t put highly flammable items right next to our cooking utensils. He was basically asking for the fire.”

Netero’s stern look did not look promising. Gon felt the sweat bead on his face. The principal’s kindness had held true prior to this, but he had been clear in his policy that he would not allow this behavior to continue unpunished. To his surprise, Killua’s rebuttal brought a smile to the old guy’s face.

“You’re probably right. God, you two are trouble together…” He laughed a little, his face much softer than before. “Alright, get back to class… And try not to destroy any other school property this afternoon, huh?”

“Are you gonna call Aunt Mito?” Gon said in a hurry, the panic apparent in his voice.

This took the wrinkled face by surprise. “No,” He said with a smile. “Just be more careful next time. I’m tired of buying new supplies for Culinary.”

Gon’s face lit up with relief. “Thank you so much! Of course!” He did a small bow before following Killua out of the office.

“Come on, Freecss. We gotta hurry, the bus leaves for the game in 20 minutes!”

Gon skipped along to catch up, a little too giddy for someone that nearly killed an entire classroom of students only hours before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe  
> i really enjoy writing this fic.
> 
> thank you sm for all of the kind comments on my last update!  
> they honestly rejuvenated(idk if that's the right word but whatever) my motivation to write so much.
> 
> i think i might start planning out the college au fic soon because  
> it sounds like a fun one to write. i will also probably use songs for every chapter of that one  
> but who knows  
> i say i'll do a lot of things and then don't.
> 
> as always, comments are the most exciting thing in the world   
> but kudos and bookmarks also make me giddy
> 
> thanks for reading!! :)


	7. the x phone x call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurapika and Leorio’s fight starts to get real, but they’re quickly interrupted by a phone call that could change things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiyaaa  
> so,  
> i didn’t post on wednesday. :D  
> love that for me.  
> i ended up scheduled for work every single day before i went out of town and didn’t have time or energy to write but i’m back and super excited about this chapter!
> 
> !!!this chapter is from Leorio’s POV!!!
> 
> alsooo i’ve been adding some authors comments in the middle of things to try to make it feel more of my own style, however i am struggling to find a balance so bear/bare(which one is it, idek) with me as i figure that one out.  
> i put a couple super unnecessary ones last chapter but i’m trying to regulate it so i hope it isn’t too annoying. :)
> 
> let’s get to it, then. :)

Kurapika and Leorio had never had a  _ simple _ relationship. They’d known each other for years and had always been close, even though they spent the early part of middle school denying that they were even friends. Both of them were incredibly stubborn. Honestly, it was almost impressive the amount of things they could find to fight about.

However, this fight felt different. This fight felt real.

There was no reason for them to be fighting about this, in Leorio’s opinion. The entire thing was so stupid. He’d never give in and apologize, though. He didn’t see why he had to. Kurapika was being dramatic and that wasn’t his fault.

Leorio stared across at the blonde in the side of his vision, making sure to keep his head facing towards the TV. Kurapika couldn’t know that he cared this much. Despite the tension of their fights, their stubbornness seemed to work in their favor. They always found themselves together during a fight—those habits never changed, no matter how angry they got. Right after school, Kurapika would go straight to Leorio’s, as he always did, and they would sit in uncomfortable silence with Friends or That 70s Show playing reruns for hours.

“Are you hungry?” Leorio finally decided to speak up, as it had been a couple hours and was nearing the time they’d typically cook something.

“Not really.” Kurapika didn’t even flinch, staring straight ahead at the show on the TV that had been the only sound for two hours now.

Leorio scoffs, leaning back on the couch and crossing his arms. 

“What?” Kurapika spit out.

“Hm? Oh… nothing.” 

“Right,” The blonde chimed, sarcastically. 

The silence resurfaced, and they sat in it for a couple of minutes before Leorio lifted himself off of the couch.

“I’m gonna make some food.” Leorio stared at the other, seemingly waiting for a response.

“Go ahead. You don’t need my permission.” Kurapika’s eyes didn’t move from the screen.

The lanky boy opened his mouth to speak, but quickly changed his mind after thinking it through.  _ How could he be so mad over those texts? This is so stupid… _

He then ducked into the kitchen, emerging a couple minutes later with two plates of food. As he set them down, the other boy grumbled, “I said I wasn’t hungry.”

“Well, I thought that mayb—“

Kurapika shoved the plate aside.

Anger filled Leorio’s face and he went to argue with the other boy, but he remembered his parents were in the other room. With a deep breath, he sat down, defeated. “Okay…”

Their focus went back to the TV and silence put a wall between them. His mind was absolutely racking for an answer to the hundreds of questions this fight brought up. Why the hell was Kurapika acting like this? It had been days since they started this in that group chat and typically their spats ended within the next hour or two— especially if Leorio brought up food. What was different this time?

“Do you HAVE to be so stubborn?” Leorio finally said, shattering the silence.

Kurapika showed no reaction at all. He just sat there.

The one comment he’d let out only opened a floodgate of anger. “Are you seriously just going to  _ sit there _ and be  _ angry  _ with me?!? I don’t even know what I did  _ wrong _ , Kurapika, I just want to see your house! I’ve known you for god knows how long and I’ve not once even driven near your house. Hell, I don't even know where it is! Isn’t that a little weird?” As the words spilled out of the other males mouth, Kurapika got angrier and angrier.

“God, will you  _ shut up _ about my house?!” He said, finally. “Leorio, where I live is  _ none _ of your business.”

“Are you KIDDING me?!” This came out as a deep growl. “For christ’s sake, you drive me crazy! What are you hiding, Pika, a secret marriage or some shit? Do you have kids? What the hell could possibly be so embarrassing that you have to hide it from _ me _ ?!” Leorio was standing now, towering over the boiling kettle that was Kurapika right now.

“Leorio, leave it alone.” He spaced the words out and emphasized every consonant. It was clear that he was seconds from blowing up, but Leorio knew this. This is what he wanted. Maybe if Kurapika lost it on him, he’d give him so more information.

“No, Kurapika, I will  _ not  _ leave it alone! I'm tired of leaving it alone. You always tell me to leave things alone, and you’re a stubborn ass about it! Well, guess what? I can be a stubborn ass, too!” Under the yelling, Leorio’s phone lit up on the table, a dull vibration buzzing the surface beneath it.

“You got the ass part right!” Kurapika growled. His eyes still hadn’t left the TV in front of him and that was driving Leorio _ mad. _

“Wooow, real mature, KP. I just don’t understand why—“ Leorio was quickly cut off by the boiling kettle overflowing.

“No! You  _ don’t  _ understand! You will NEVER understand…” Kurapika was standing now, his intense grey eyes seeming to boil over with red. “...just how  _ infuriating  _ it is to have to put up with your  _ nonsense _ every single goddamn day!” He continued the final part of that sentence, however it felt as if that wasn’t what he meant Leorio didn’t understand. The phone began to buzz again, leaving a constant roar under their fight.

“Oh, you think it’s easy for me?!” Leorio laughed a little, but his eyes didn’t look happy at all. “You  _ never  _ let me in! You never even try to—“

“Jesus fucking christ, answer your phone, Leorio!” Kurapika threw his hands up in frustration before snatching the phone off of the table and answering the call for him.

“Yes, Killua?” His tone didn’t change much, but it was obvious that the boy on the other line paid no mind to the annoyance in it. The anger melted away as Kurapika’s face dropped and his eyes went wide. He looked like he’d just seen someone massacre his entire family. (too soon?)

Leorio’s face filled with worry and he quickly moved closer to Kurapika, putting a hand on his shoulder as he spoke, “Pika? Hey, what’s going on—i-is everything okay?”

Kurapika hung up and dropped the phone onto the couch behind him without moving his body or eyes. “That was Killua… Gon is—hurt,” He choked out the last word, as if it was physically painful to say. “He’s in an ambulance on the way to the hospital now…”

Leorio was already gathering their stuff in a hurry and guiding the stunned Kurapika out the door as the blonde finally managed to say, “They want us to meet them there.”

“Then, let’s get going.” He didn’t stop moving as he tugged the keys off the rack by the door. Kurapika was frozen behind him. 

“Hey…” He lifted Kurapika’s chin so their eyes met. “He’s gonna be okay, Pika… Promise.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaah  
> ok  
> so this is when this fic starts to get fun. :>
> 
> i’m very excited about the last few chapters of this particular part of the series!  
> once this 10 chapter part is over, there will be 3 more parts for sure for sophomore year, junior year, and senior year. (each of them will be around the same length as this part i think??)  
> i’m also considering doing a couple of side parts, like a short christmas one and a short summer vacation one?  
> and then i aim to do an “after high school” part as well but we will see!  
> i’ve got plans tho.
> 
> as always, i hope you enjoyed this chapter!!  
> kudos and bookmarks boost my seratonin for sure  
> but comments are the real MVP and i live for every piece of feedback i can get! :D  
> thanks for reading and i’ll probably post on the day i say i won’t post because i can’t keep a schedule worth anything lolol.


	8. alcohol x and x anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurapika and Leorio get to the hospital to see Gon. As soon as those tensions let up, others arise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!!!  
> i finally got a chapter up around the time i said i would! lolol
> 
> i’m honestly not sure whose pov this chapter is in so i hope that isn’t too confusing.  
> i ended up writing this in a way that ran right into the next chapter and struggled to find a breaking point so i hope the ending doesn’t feel sudden—  
> either way, the next chapter should be up shortly(i’ve already got it mostly written!)
> 
> let’s get into it then!

The hospital atmosphere gave Kurapika chills. He hated it there... Though it’d been years since he’d last seen this place, everything felt so familiar—the call, the way that the words had been eating at his stomach, the smell of alcohol wipes and cheap air freshener, the cool air blowing from every vent they passed by, the chatter of useless news stories from the waiting room tv, the beeping of endless machines... It drove him mad. 

But none of that mattered now. All that mattered was that Gon was hurt.

And there was no way he was letting the past repeat itself.

Leorio had been cautiously guiding the stunned blonde around, but he wiggled his way out of his grasp as soon as he laid eyes on Killua sitting in the waiting room.

“Is he ok?! What happened?” Killua jumped as his eyes were forced away from his phone. 

“Oh, you’re here. Yes, he’s alright.” Kurapika let his breath out and felt the tension leave him finally. “He fell on his wrist during the game and they’re doing x-rays now... Aunt Mito is in with him but we aren’t allowed back til x-rays are done.”

“Good...ok.” Kurapika took a deep breath, sitting beside Killua. “I’m glad he’s okay...”

“What the hell is wrong with you, Zoldyck?!?” Leorio smacked the pale boy on the back of his head. “You couldn’t have been any better at explaining that over the phone?! We thought for sure he had been in a fatal crash or something!” Kurapika seemed to flinch at these words, sinking in his seat a little.

“And you think I wasn't scared out of my mind?! I didn’t know what to do, I just knew that the most important thing in my life was being carted off into an ambulance and I—“ It was at this moment that Killua realized what he’d said.

Kurapika smiled a bit and Leorio laughed under his breath.

“Oh, shut up!!!” Killua crossed his arms with a huff and hid his blushing cheeks.

“Hey, we didn’t say anything…” Leorio sat beside them with a smug grin. “That was all you.” Killua smacked Leorio’s arm at this remark, but only got more laughter out of him.

Once it had died down, they sat in silence for a few minutes and the tension slowly began to build around the three of them. 

“Killua? Oh— you’re all here now! Good.” A familiar face popped out of the hospital room down the hall. “Gon’s back from x-rays, you can come back now.” Aunt Mito's cheery demeanor calmed the three boys instantaneously.

As they entered the room, the overwhelming scent of rubber and antiseptic filled their nose. Gon was sitting anxiously on the edge of the white sheets with one arm resting in the other. He looked fine aside from a swollen bruise on his wrist and a small cut covered by a bandage on his cheek. 

“Kurapika, Leorio!” His smile was as bright as ever. It’s incredible that he could have one arm bruised and bleeding and, still, his sunshine didn’t falter.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Kurapika forced a smile as he hesitantly approached Gon’s bed. He seemed to be very uncomfortable but still tried his best to look put together.

“Oh, I’m fine!” He was as giddy as ever, but his face fell a bit as he started his next sentence. “Bisky made me stop the game to come here even though I told her I was okay.”

“You’re not okay, Gon, your wrist is totally broken.” Killua said with a scoff.

“Whatever— I still didn’t wanna miss the last game of the tournament!” Gon winced in pain as he let go of his wrist for a second, immediately replacing his hand under his wrist to support it again.

“Hey, Kurapika.. are you okay?” Leorio saw past the facade he was wearing and into the utter discomfort that covered him. The blonde looked like he was about to be sick.

“Uh— oh. Yes, I'm fine,” he lied, smiling to try to sell it better.

“Um... ok?” The lanky boy thought for a second before looking up at the others. “Is anyone hungry? I think we should go get some food for everyone, Pika, come on.” He didn’t even wait for a response before guiding the blonde out of the room and down the hallway.

“What are you doing, leorio?” Kurapika said, but he followed him anyway. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to be out of the bright white death room, even if it meant following Leorio’s nosy ass.

“Exactly what I said, getting food.” Leorio gestured towards the cafeteria as he opened the door for the other boy. “It is well past time for dinner, after all.”

“Okay, but I’m not hungry.” Kurapika said, starting to walk into the cafeteria to get the other’s food. A lanky arm stopped him in his tracks.

“You’re kidding.” Leorio stares at him blankly. “Kurapika, you have to eat.”

“I’ll eat later.”

“No way— you hardly eat anything at lunch everyday, you only ever eat at my house and that’s only sometimes.” He pulled Kurapika back out into the hall and shut the door. Almost on instinct, his arms crossed over his chest.

The blonde looked at him with disbelief. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you controlled when I did and didn't eat!” Kurapika turned on his heel and started to storm off, but was quickly pulled back by the lanky male. With a tight grip on his wrist, the dark haired boy tugged him across the hallway.

“What the hell is wrong with you!” Kurapika struggled in his grasp, trying to pull his hand off of him. However, by the time he’d finally let go, Leorio had pulled them both into a janitor’s closet and was blocking the only door out.

_ Great… How am I supposed to get out of this? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here’s a fun story:
> 
> i jumped off a cliff into water sunday evening and totally fractured my wrist so all of the descriptions for the hospital in this chapter is absolutely drawn directly from my exact experience lololol.  
> i’m ok!!! i just think it’s so funny that i planned gon hurting his wrist over a month ago and then ended up doing it myself RIGHT as i got to writing this chapter specifically.
> 
> anywaysss  
> i’m VERY excited about the next chapter. we’re so close to wrapping up this part of the series!!!  
> i’m ready to get to the next part.
> 
> writing is going to be a little tough for about a month because i’m doing it all one handed but i’ll do my best to keep up with it! let me know if you see any typos because i definitely may have missed a few.
> 
> as always, comments are absolutely incredible—they make me SO happy.  
> kudos and bookmarks are also so appreciated!!!  
> i hope you guys enjoyed it!!!


	9. confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leorio and Kurapika’s fight finally comes to an end and there might even be a happy ending to this chapter—who knows? :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahaha two chapters in one night?  
> who even am i?
> 
> truthfully, i considered combining these two chapters but i was set on ten chapters for this part so i kept them split up. :)
> 
> without further ado, the chapter i have been SO excited to write since i started planning this fic out.

“Are you insane?!” Kurapika whispered loudly, looking around at the broken brooms and trash cans that littered the very small room he’d just been trapped in.

“Maybe, but regardless, you’re not leaving here until you agree to eat a damn meal.” Leorio crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air.

This smug look made the blonde absolutely fume with anger. “Oh, I’ll show you what you can eat—“

Leorio slammed his fist on the wall behind him, immediately shutting the other boy up. “I don’t wanna hear it!” His voice boomed through the tiny room. “You don’t wanna show me your house? Fine. You don’t wanna tell me what’s wrong? Fine. But I swear to god,” His voice was low but so unsteady. “if you don’t eat something—anything—“

“Why do you care so much anyways?!” Kurapika pushed the other boy away, his usual calm voice rising to a yell once again. “This has nothing to do with you, none of it—“

“Why do  _ I care _ ?!?” He scoffed but his eyes never left those of the shorter boy.

“Yes, idiot, why the  _ fuck _ does it matter to you if I eat or where I live or—“

“Because I love you!!!” 

Silence filled the air around them. The words echoed through Kurapika’s ears and his eyes went wide. Leorio had tears in his eyes that were only revealed slightly by the glasses falling to the edge of his nose. He had never looked so defeated. The size of the room became very apparent as the space between them seemed to be closing.

“Okay?! A-and sometimes, when you love someone, the way that I’ve loved you for all this time, you just want to make sure that they—“

“Just kiss me.” Kurapika looked up, staring deep into Leorio’s tear-filled eyes. The gap between them closed completely, and their lips met, somewhat aggressively. Kurapika wrapped his arms around Leorio’s neck. It felt like this incredible tension had been lifted from between them and Kurapika secretly wished this moment could last forever.

When the tall boy finally broke their kiss, he saw tears filling Kurapika’s eyes now. “Woah, hey, are you alright? What’re you crying about? Was it that bad?” His hands went up to trace his own lips, suddenly very aware that he’d just kissed  _ Kurapika. _

The blonde turned away, wiping the tears on his sleeve. “Um... I..” He looked up at the only person he knew he could trust with this side of him and smiled a little. “I have so much to tell you.”

Leorio’s face lit up. He gently turned the other’s face up towards his own and wiped the rest of his tears away. “I’m listening, Pika… Always.”

They both sat down on the ground with their backs against the door, which was the only open surface in this crowded room that they likely were not supposed to just be chilling in.

“Um.. ok... When I was a kid—I guess probably 4 or 5 years old—um...my family...” he took a deep breath. “My family got into a really bad crash..” His voice began to shake as he spoke.

Leorio saw the struggle in his eyes and slid his hand into the other’s grip. When their eyes met, he gave him a reassuring smile.

Slightly at ease, the blonde continued, “I was at home when it happened but by the time the babysitter had managed to get us to the hospital, it was...” Tears began streaming down his face. “It was too late...”

“Pika...” Leorio wrapped his arms around the other and pulled the sniffling boy to his chest. “Hey... it’s okay... I’m so sorry— I had no idea...”

Kurapika pulled away and tried to compose himself, straightening his shirt. “I was put into foster care for years, but I couldn’t stand it. I worked night after night for years, saving pocket change and doing odd jobs for the neighbors—which were, admittedly, sketchy at times— until I finally had enough to lease my own apartment.”

“Wait—You live alone? Kurapika, you’re sixteen, that’s ridiculous!” The taller male interrupted.

“Anything is better than the foster homes I was forced into!” He took a deep breath, trying not to get angry. “I’ve been working every night since I was thirteen... Technically speaking, it wasn’t legal to begin with but all paychecks were under the table until just recently... It’s barely enough, but I get by.”

“Pika…” Although he tried to contain it, pity filled his voice. “You call half a sandwich a day “enough”?! In what world?” He tried not to yell at him, but Leorio was beyond frustrated that he hadn’t known about this sooner. He just wanted to help. “You could have asked me for help... I know hundreds of ways to save money. I was raised poor, too, you know? I’d never judge you for that...”

Kurapika stared at the floor. “I know... I’m sorry I kept this from you for so long...” He looked up and his soft voice hardened at an impressive speed. “But I don’t need your help.”

Leorio stared at him blankly, but then started to laugh a little. He put his hand on top of Kurapika’s head and ruffled his yellow hair. “Whatever.. I’ll take it. This is progress, nonetheless.”

Kurapika couldn’t help but smile, settling into the other’s arms a bit more. As the first  _ comfortable  _ silence of the day engulfed the two of them, he found himself matching his breathing to the taller male’s. 

“We better get back to the others... We promised them food,” he hummed, finally.

“Right.” Leorio smiled down at him. They both stood up, somewhat reluctantly. Kurapika started to pass him to open the door, but the other continued to stare at the ground with a stupid smile across his face. 

“You coming or what?” The blonde said from the now open doorway.

“Yeah… Sorry.” Leorio snapped his head up, seeming to have woken from a daydream as he turned to leave the room. 

_ Imagine… _ he thought to himself.  _ Finally kissing the love of your life.  _

This left an even dumber smile on his face as the two made their way to the cafeteria for their very late dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!  
> ok so idk how long the last chapter will be but i know that part 2 of this series, sophomore year, will be in the works immediately after i finish this part!
> 
> i’ll still continue trying to post every week as much as i can, so stick around! i’m way too excited for the rest of this fic. if you have any specific high school tropes you’d like to see, comment below! i can definitely find places to work those into. :D
> 
> as always, comments kudos and bookmarks make me so happy!!!
> 
> thanks for reading pals!  
> have a lovely week!!!


	10. goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon is discharged from the hospital as the four pals say their goodbyes before summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!!!  
> sorry i skipped a week! i didn’t feel like fumbling with a keyboard with my wrist but i come bearing good news!  
> i can for the most part function without a cast on so it is much easier to write!  
> OH HEY ALSO!!!  
> i wrote EXACTLY 20000 words for the first part of the series and i think that deserves applause.  
> without further ado, i give you the final chapter of the first part of this series!

“What?! You won again? You are totally cheating!“

“No way, Killua— You’re just not as good as I am.” 

“I don’t know how much you should brag about being good at BS.”

“Whatever!” Gon laughed.

As the two older males approached the hospital room, the pleasant laughter of the other two’s antics reached their ears. A smile snuck it’s way onto Kurapika’s lips as the giggling boys came into view. They crossed the doorway and the others looked up at them, cards sprawled out on the hospital bed in front of them. Gon had a removable cast on his left wrist, but he didn’t seem to let it hinder his abilities at all.

“Hey guys!” Gon chimed, light still absolutely beaming from his contagious smile.

Killua looked the other two boys up and down. He had become an expert in reading people’s emotions in a short time—he had to in order to survive in his household— and he could immediately tell that something was off with these two.

Leorio was still rather flushed from the encounter he’d had with Kurapika just minutes ago in the janitor’s closet. He was never a very classy or “put together” guy, but it was clear to the younger two that things were different between them. 

Just as they started to look suspicious enough to confront them, Kurapika interrupted their thoughts. “We brought food.” He smiled, as convincingly innocent as he could muster, and Leorio gave him a weird look. He stomped on Leorio’s foot without his facial expression faltering at all. The victim jumped and gave him an angry glare.

“Right—“ The lanky boy said, getting over himself as he began to pull boxes out of the bag he’d been lugging around at his side.

Kurapika went to take the to-go boxes from Leorio to help pass them out but that only made things worse as they both stumbled around each other’s hands. A deep blush crept back up onto Leorio’s face and ears. The blonde snatched the boxes out of his hand and gave him a stern look —that, admittedly, only a mother could make—that screamed ‘Get it together or I’ll kick your ass.’

Gon and Killua exchanged a glance as they both stifled back laughter. The two of them had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and they were honestly surprised it took so long for these two to confess the undeniable feelings between them. However entertaining, it was far more awkward now that the two of them were aware of each other.

As they all finally sat down to eat, Gon broke the awkward tension with more ranting about Bisky forcing him to sit out for “the rest of the season“—even if this had been their last game. Soon, they all were basking in the comfort of the best friends they’d made in one short year and their laughter filled the typically quite dreary hospital room.

It wasn’t long before Gon was discharged from the hospital and they took the laughter outside. Although they’d only all been friends for 8 months, it was clear to anyone who saw them that they had a bond that wasn’t easily broken. 

Aunt Mito escorted them outside and they stopped at the intersection between Mito and Leorio’s car. Looking between Gon and his friends, Mito knew he wanted to spend more time with them. “I’ll see you at home, then?”

“Yes, please!” Gon beamed, wrapping his arms around her neck in a big hug of gratitude.

“Alright…” She locked eyes with Leorio, her expression going hard. “Drive safely.”

Leorio’s eyes went wide and his stance stiffened. “Y-yes, ma’am. Always.” 

Kurapika had flashbacks of the trip to the hospital, where he had broken at least ten traffic laws and definitely drove twenty over. He stifled laughter, covering his mouth after Leorio bumped into his side. 

Mito looked between them suspiciously but before she could protest, Gon pulled the others towards Leorio’s car. “Bye, Mito!!!”

As Leorio pulled up to Gon’s house, their laughter died down long enough for Leorio’s disappointment to shine through. He sighed and everyone turned to him. “What’s wrong, Leorio?” Gon leaned forward from the back seat.

“Huh?” Leorio’s eyes lit up a bit as he came out of his thoughts. “Oh.. nothing. It’s just that I’m leaving for my internship tomorrow and—” He breathed a bit, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but..” He looked up and locked eyes with Kurapika. “I’m gonna miss you guys...”

Killua smirked at the eye contact, but the expression was wiped from his face with the impact of Gon’s elbow in his ribs.

Summer had come up so quickly and it hadn’t quite hit them yet that this would be the last time they’d really get to hang out before they went their separate ways for the next three months.

“Oh, yeah! Isn’t the internship at like the top Medical center in the country?” Gon beamed.

Leorio’s face shifted into a self-assured smirk. “Hell yeah, it is—“

“Okay, no need to inflate his ego, Gon.” Kurapika rolled his eyes.

“Hey! I don’t see you doing anything as impressive! Jealousy isn’t a good look, Pika.” He crossed his arms and turned his nose up.

“What’re you doing this summer, KP?”

“I’m actually working all summer long.”

Leorio’s expression changed to concern faster than you can say “total asshole.” “Oh, Pika, I didn’t mean—“

“I know, it’s ok.” Kurapika was much calmer about this, now that he had told the other, but the two younger boys were still unaware and he couldn’t risk Leorio saying too much and giving his secret away to them too.

“Right... Still, I’m sorry.”

Gon sensed the tension and quickly tried to change the focus from Kurapika. “What about you, Killua?”

Killua sat back in his seat with his hands behind his head. His face showed nothing but disgust. “Family vacation.” He said it as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. Part of Gon felt as if he didn’t see this as a vacation at all. He decided to not to pry, though. “You?” Killua asked, opening one eye to look at the dark haired beauty.

“Oh, I’m going back to Whale Island for the summer!” His bright smile blinded the rest. “I haven’t been there since we moved in junior high.”

His eyes redirected as Aunt Mito’s car pulled into his driveway. “Oh, I should probably go inside.” 

“Yeah.” The mood dampened again and they said their last goodbyes before the group was temporarily disbanded.

Gon stood on the sidewalk, waving to the moving car as the three best friend’s he’d ever had drove away.

_ It’s only three months... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i’ve got an idea and i need feedback.  
> i’ve been reading SO many group chat fics recently and i absolutely adore them so  
> i was thinking maybe i could do a group chat fic for this series of them texting to keep in touch over the summer!  
> would that interest you guys?  
> i’m probably gonna do it either way but i just wanna share that idea.
> 
> beyond just that, i’ll be starting the sophomore year part of this series shortly!!  
> i’m very excited.
> 
> as always, comments are the best thing in the world but kudos and bookmarks are also so appreciated.  
> thanks for reading! i hope you’ll stick around for part 2(and the potential sub-part)!!!

**Author's Note:**

> the first chapter of the subpart for the summer after freshman year is posted!!!  
> it is a group chat fic based around the four of them trying to stay in contact while they’re all doing totally different things during summer!  
> there’ll be fluff and pining and maybe some angst??? i have no clue how long it’ll be  
> but i’m very excited about it so if that interests you, please go check it out!!! :)
> 
> if you have any questions or anything,  
> comment below or dm me on IG @ _sukaira  
> i'm super excited to see what you guys think!  
> comments are highly appreciated so please feel free to leave a comment about anything from the fic! i’ll try to respond to everyone. :) i’m super invested in this and really passionate about it so i’m definitely down to hear your thoughts, too!


End file.
